New sanctions loom over Iran as Teheran announces a new uranium enrichment programme and raises western fears of atom bombs
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Monday, February 08, 2010
International pressure for new sanctions against Iran grew after Tehran announced a plan to expand nuclear fuel production and enrichment plants
Iran informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog Monday 8th Feb. that it will begin enriching uranium to 20 percent on Tuesday. Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, said his country handed over a letter to the agency stating its intention. 10 new uranium enrichment plants would be built in Iran.
The move heightening Western fears it wants to make atom bombs.Uranium enriched to 20 percent is considered "highly enriched,". That level is the threshold for uranium capable of setting off a nuclear reaction.
Iran currently enriches uranium to a level of 3.5% but requires 20% enriched uranium for its Tehran research reactor, which is meant to produce medical isotopes. A deal struck in October between Iran, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the so-called P5+1 - the US, Russia, China, UK, France plus Germany - envisaged Iran sending about 70% of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France where it would be processed into fuel for a research reactor.Last month Iran had told the IAEA that it did not accept the terms of the deal, although there have since been other, conflicting messages.
In response to current move the United States and France called for what would be a fourth set of sanctions against Iran, while a senior lawmaker in Russia, which in the past has urged talks rather than punishment, said economic sanctions should be considered. Among the big powers only China, which can block any U.N. sanctions with its veto on the Security Council, has so far remained opposed to sanctions.