Region | Iran
Defiant Iran to boost nuclear capacity
Iran said on Saturday it would press ahead with plans to expand its nuclear programme, after diplomats in Vienna said Tehran was installing advanced centrifuges in its key uranium enrichment plant.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:31 April 6, 2008
Tehran: Iran said on Saturday it would press ahead with plans to expand its nuclear programme, after diplomats in Vienna said Tehran was installing advanced centrifuges in its key uranium enrichment plant.
The government spokesman also rejected any idea of halting work the United States suspects is aimed at building nuclear bombs in return for trade, technology and other benefits. Speaking a few days before the Islamic Republic's annual National Nuclear Technology Day on April 8, Gulam Hussain Elham said he hoped for "good news" on that day but did not elaborate.
The world's fourth-largest oil producer says it needs to produce nuclear fuel for a planned network of power plants to satisfy soaring electricity demand.
"The trend of advancing nuclear capacity until reaching the production of nuclear fuel and building nuclear power plants to produce 20,000 megawatts of electricity will continue," Elham said.
On Thursday, diplomats told Reuters Iran has begun installing advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges in its Natanz enrichment complex, accelerating activity that could give it the means to make atom bombs in future if it chose to.
Three sets of sanctions
Related Links
Iran has been hit with three sets of United Nations sanctions for hiding the programme until 2003, failing to prove to inspectors since then that it is wholly peaceful and refusing to suspend the disputed programme.
Enriched uranium can be used as fuel in nuclear power plants or, if refined much further, provide material for weapons.
After a pause of several months, Iran has now assembled more than 300 centrifuges divided into two cascades (interlinked networks) to expand beyond 3,000, the diplomats said.
News Editor's choice
-
Kuwait condemns Houla massacre
Arab League urged to put end to oppression of Syrian people
-
Road crashes main cause of child death in UAE
Death rate among children in car accidents in the UAE is three times higher than global average
-
Last minute ID rush is on
Expatriates in Dubai have thronged typing centres and Emirates ID registration offices to meet the May 31 registration deadline
