Iran expands nuke programme
2008-07-26 16:10
Tehran - Iran is running more than 5 000
centrifuges for enriching uranium, its president was quoted as
saying on Saturday, suggesting continued expansion of a nuclear
programme the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.
"Today, we have more than 5 000 active centrifuges," state
television quoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy
Agency, said in May that Tehran had 3 500 uranium enrichment
centrifuges working at its Natanz facility in central Iran.
The UN Security Council has imposed three sets of
sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment work
that can have both civilian and military uses.
Two-week deadline
Iran and six world powers, represented by European Union
foreign policy chief Javier Solana, held a meeting in Geneva on
July 19 to discuss the country's disputed nuclear ambitions.
Afterwards, Western officials said Iran had two weeks to
reply to an offer of a halt to new steps towards more UN
sanctions if Iran froze the expansion of its nuclear work.
Russia, among the six, has said it opposes artificial deadlines.
Ruled out freeze
Iranian officials have so far ruled out both a freeze to get
preliminary discussions going and a demand that Iran eventually
suspend its nuclear programme to start formal talks on a package
of economic and other incentives proposed by the six powers.
Tehran says it is ready for negotiations, but will not accept
any pre-conditions or threats.
"Iran does not negotiate with anyone over its obvious
nuclear right," Ahmadinejad said in the northeastern town of
Mashhad.
"The government has decided to end the era of the
dominance of the Westerners once and for all."
- Reuters