TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran's intelligence minister is defending his agents' handling of a visit by a gay Utah state senator after hard-liners alleged it represented a security breach.


Mahmoud Alavi made the comments on Tuesday in an open session of Iran's parliament.


Alavi says Sen. Jim Dabakis was under "full surveillance" during his six-day visit in September. He also questioned why hard-liners didn't have a problem with Dabakis making a 15-day visit in 2010 during the administration of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.


Dabakis says he traveled as a private citizen to Iran. Iranian officials have said his visa application didn't clearly say he held elected office in the United States.


By AP