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Iran defies US to begin higher level of uranium enrichment
Source: Agencies |
February 10, 2010, Wednesday
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IRAN began enriching uranium to a higher level yesterday over the vociferous objections of the United States and its allies who fear the process could eventually be used to give the Islamic republic nuclear weapons.
Even before the announcement, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believed the United Nations should slap new sanctions on Iran in "weeks, not months," according to his spokesman.
France and the US said on Monday that Iran's action left no choice but to push harder for a fourth set of UN Security Council sanctions to punish Iran's nuclear defiance.
Iranian state television said that the process began in the presence of inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency. Uranium has to be enriched to fuel nuclear power plants and Iran needs the 20-percent enriched fuel for a research reactor producing medical isotopes.
Enriching uranium to 90 percent, however, creates the material for nuclear weapons, which many countries are afraid Iran is seeking. Iran denies the charge.
In effort to defuse the crisis, the International Atomic Energy Agency brokered a deal last year in which Iran would ship out its low enriched uranium to be processed abroad and returned a year later.
Iran initially rejected the deal, then later said that if an acceptable alternative could be reached, it would not continue the high-level enriching process.
Ali Akbar Salehi, a vice president as well as the head of the country's nuclear program, said the further enrichment would be unnecessary if the West found a way to provide Iran with the needed fuel.
"Whenever they provide the fuel, we will halt production of 20 percent," he told state TV on Monday.
Iran has so far enriched uranium to a level of 3.5 percent, which is suitable for use in fueling nuclear power plants.
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry said any plan by the West to impose new Security Council resolutions would not be helpful.
"If they attempt another resolution, they are making a mistake," he said. "They are completely wrong if they think our people will back down even a single step."
Salehi said Iran has been trying to buy the higher enriched fuel for its research reactor for the past several months, but the West made providing the fuel conditional on Iran's acceptance of the UN-drafted agreement to ship its uranium stockpile abroad first.
Even before the announcement, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believed the United Nations should slap new sanctions on Iran in "weeks, not months," according to his spokesman.
France and the US said on Monday that Iran's action left no choice but to push harder for a fourth set of UN Security Council sanctions to punish Iran's nuclear defiance.
Iranian state television said that the process began in the presence of inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency. Uranium has to be enriched to fuel nuclear power plants and Iran needs the 20-percent enriched fuel for a research reactor producing medical isotopes.
Enriching uranium to 90 percent, however, creates the material for nuclear weapons, which many countries are afraid Iran is seeking. Iran denies the charge.
In effort to defuse the crisis, the International Atomic Energy Agency brokered a deal last year in which Iran would ship out its low enriched uranium to be processed abroad and returned a year later.
Iran initially rejected the deal, then later said that if an acceptable alternative could be reached, it would not continue the high-level enriching process.
Ali Akbar Salehi, a vice president as well as the head of the country's nuclear program, said the further enrichment would be unnecessary if the West found a way to provide Iran with the needed fuel.
"Whenever they provide the fuel, we will halt production of 20 percent," he told state TV on Monday.
Iran has so far enriched uranium to a level of 3.5 percent, which is suitable for use in fueling nuclear power plants.
A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry said any plan by the West to impose new Security Council resolutions would not be helpful.
"If they attempt another resolution, they are making a mistake," he said. "They are completely wrong if they think our people will back down even a single step."
Salehi said Iran has been trying to buy the higher enriched fuel for its research reactor for the past several months, but the West made providing the fuel conditional on Iran's acceptance of the UN-drafted agreement to ship its uranium stockpile abroad first.
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