Nations doubt Iran nuclear claims

Moscow/Tehran: Russia voiced scepticism yesterday about Iran's announcement of a dramatic expansion of its uranium enrichment effort, saying it had yet to receive confirmation of the claim from the UN's nuclear watchdog.

France and Australia also questioned Iran's claim that it had acquired an industrial-scale nuclear fuel production capability, and the European Union urged Tehran to live up to international demands that it halt its nuclear programme and return to negotiations.

Iran said on Monday it has begun operating 3,000 centrifuges - nearly 10 times the previously known number - in defiance of UN demands that it halt its nuclear programme or face increased sanctions. The United States, Britain, France and others criticised the announcement.

Germany, now president of the European Union, also voiced "great concern" about Iran's announcement in a statement and urged Tehran to abide by international demands.

IAEA assessment sought

Iran yesterday shrugged off the warning and pledged to further expand its nuclear drive with the head of the atomic energy organisation reaffirming that Tehran's ultimate aim is to install 50,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium.

"The objective of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not just the installation of 3,000 centrifuges at the Natanz plant but we are doing everything to install 50,000 centrifuges," said Gulam Reza Aghazadeh, according to Irna agency.

However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement that Moscow was unaware of "any recent technological breakthroughs in the Iranian nuclear programme that would change the format of its enrichment effort."

Moscow has asked International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, for its assessment of the Iranian claim, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov yesterday said he had yet to receive a response.

Inspectors' visit

"We haven't got confirmation yet that they have actually begun uranium enrichment at the new cascades" of centrifuges, Lav-rov told reporters.

Two UN inspectors, who could provide the first independent assessment of any Iranian progress, arrived yesterday to inspect the Natanz uranium enrichment site where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had expanded its atomic work.