Ali
08-08-2005, 09:34 AM
Iran says it has resumed work at its uranium conversion facility near the city of Isfahan.
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, made the announcement at the Isfahan plant.
The US and EU have previously warned that such a move could lead to Iran being referred to the UN Security Council for economic sanctions.
Iran's move had been expected and comes on the eve of a crisis meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is to meet on Tuesday to discuss the deadlock.
It will submit a report to the Security Council, which will then consider the possibility of sanctions.
The meeting follows Iran's rejection of European proposals for resolving concerns over its nuclear programme.
A US state department official told the AFP news agency reports Iran had restarted nuclear activities were "unfortunate" and that the US expected Tehran to be taken before the United Nations.
Fuel cycle
Mr Saeedi said work at the plant had resumed under the supervision of the IAEA, which has installed surveillance equipment and oversee removal of seals.
A reporter for the Reuters news agency said she saw two workers at the Isfahan plant lifting a barrel full of uranium yellowcake, opening its lid and feeding it into the processing line.
The reporter said that earlier the plant had been surrounded by dozens of anti-aircraft batteries.
Iran insists it wants only to use its facilities to produce power, but the US suspects it of running a secret nuclear weapons programme.
Under international pressure, Iran suspended uranium conversion and enrichment activities in November 2004, but it said the move was only temporary.
Iran says it is still interested in holding negotiations with the EU, but says it must have the right to develop its own nuclear fuel.
The Isfahan plant is Iran's main uranium conversion facility. Conversion is an early stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, turning raw uranium - known as yellowcake - into the feedstock for enriched uranium.
Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel, while further enrichment makes it suitable for use in atomic weapons.
The Iranian government on Monday replaced its chief nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, with Ali Larijani, a conservative former head of state broadcasting who is known to have close ties with Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
The appointment was made by newly elected conservative President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, two days after he was sworn in. It is being seen as a hardening of Iran's position. BBC (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4131706.stm)Here we go again.
Let's see what 'evidence' the US comes up with this time :rolleyes:
The reporter said that earlier the plant had been surrounded by dozens of anti-aircraft batteries.
L:pL I wonder where the missiles (http://www.answers.com/topic/iran-contra-affair) in those AA batteries came from?
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, made the announcement at the Isfahan plant.
The US and EU have previously warned that such a move could lead to Iran being referred to the UN Security Council for economic sanctions.
Iran's move had been expected and comes on the eve of a crisis meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is to meet on Tuesday to discuss the deadlock.
It will submit a report to the Security Council, which will then consider the possibility of sanctions.
The meeting follows Iran's rejection of European proposals for resolving concerns over its nuclear programme.
A US state department official told the AFP news agency reports Iran had restarted nuclear activities were "unfortunate" and that the US expected Tehran to be taken before the United Nations.
Fuel cycle
Mr Saeedi said work at the plant had resumed under the supervision of the IAEA, which has installed surveillance equipment and oversee removal of seals.
A reporter for the Reuters news agency said she saw two workers at the Isfahan plant lifting a barrel full of uranium yellowcake, opening its lid and feeding it into the processing line.
The reporter said that earlier the plant had been surrounded by dozens of anti-aircraft batteries.
Iran insists it wants only to use its facilities to produce power, but the US suspects it of running a secret nuclear weapons programme.
Under international pressure, Iran suspended uranium conversion and enrichment activities in November 2004, but it said the move was only temporary.
Iran says it is still interested in holding negotiations with the EU, but says it must have the right to develop its own nuclear fuel.
The Isfahan plant is Iran's main uranium conversion facility. Conversion is an early stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, turning raw uranium - known as yellowcake - into the feedstock for enriched uranium.
Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel, while further enrichment makes it suitable for use in atomic weapons.
The Iranian government on Monday replaced its chief nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rohani, with Ali Larijani, a conservative former head of state broadcasting who is known to have close ties with Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
The appointment was made by newly elected conservative President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, two days after he was sworn in. It is being seen as a hardening of Iran's position. BBC (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4131706.stm)Here we go again.
Let's see what 'evidence' the US comes up with this time :rolleyes:
The reporter said that earlier the plant had been surrounded by dozens of anti-aircraft batteries.
L:pL I wonder where the missiles (http://www.answers.com/topic/iran-contra-affair) in those AA batteries came from?