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Ahmadinejad orders 20 percent uranium enrichment |
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Iran president,uranium enrichment,west,uranium transfer deal,mottaki,tough sanctions,China,US senate |
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 Tehran:Casting doubts on the prospect of a deal with the West,Iran is planning to enrich uranium from Tuesday .Iran will tell the UN nuclear
watchdog tomorrow of its plans to enrich uranium to 20 per
cent, atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi told .
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has instructed Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation to begin enriching uranium for use as nuclear fuel
Salehi's remarks came hours after hardline President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered Salehi to begin higher uranium
enrichment,
Ahmadinejad's declaration drew immediate fire from
Britain, which said it was "clearly a matter of serious
concern," while US Defence Secretary Robert Gates called for
mounting "international pressure" on the Islamic republic.
"I [ask] Dr Salehi to start work on the production of 20 per cent fuel using centrifuges," Ahmadinejad said.
But he also remarked "The doors for interaction are still open."
Referring to the international Atomic Energy Agency Salehi told "We will inform the IAEA in a letter of
our intention to enrich uranium to 20 percent." "The higher enrichment will begin at the Natanz plant
from the day after tomorrow (Tuesday)," he added. Natanz is in
the central province of Isfahan.
West fear that Tehran wants to enrich uranium to
very high levels for use in an atomic weapons programme, and
hence want to remove its low-enriched uranium (LEU) through
the UN-drafted deal.
Iran insists that its nuclear enrichment drive is purely
peaceful.
This decision by Iran is certainly not going to have a very positive effect on the world powers as negotiations were on on the nuclear programme .
A day before there were many indications from Foreign Minister iof iran that they are willing to swap the uranium . as per the proposal given to Iran by six nationa talks.
Some Iranian officials have opposed the proposed nuclear deal, saying they would prefer a simultaneous exchange on Iranian soil, a plan rejected by world powers.
Robert Gates, the US defense secretary, said that it was time for the international community to rally together to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear programme .
"If the international community will stand together and bring pressure to bear on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and diplomatic pressure to work," he told . |
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Updated :
Monday, 08 Feb 2010, 12:01 [IST] |
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