Iran Announces 1st Nuclear Fuel Plant, More Centrifuges
By VOA News
09 April 2009
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has inaugurated his country's first nuclear fuel plant, and a senior official said Iran has installed more nuclear enrichment centrifuges.
Mr. Ahmadinejad announced the opening of the plant at a ceremony Thursday in Isfahan marking Iran's National Nuclear Day.
Iran's nuclear chief, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, also in Isfahan, said Iran has installed about 7,000 centrifuges at its Natanz uranium enrichment complex, about 2,000 more than previously revealed.
Iranian media said the fuel would be used in Iran's Arak heavy water nuclear reactor.
The U.N.'s atomic agency has not been able to determine whether Arak, which Iran says is designed for peaceful research, can be reconfigured for military use.
Western nations fear that Iran's enrichment program could be intended for use in nuclear weapons.
Mr. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said that Iran is not seeking nuclear weaponry.
The announcements came a day after the United States and five other major powers offered direct nuclear talks with Iran.
An aide to Mr. Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Tehran will review the offer and decide how to respond after examining details of the invitation.
Senior diplomats of the five permanent Security Council member states (U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain) and Germany met in London Wednesday and said they would ask European Union chief diplomat Javier Solana to invite Iran to a meeting soon to seek a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday "pursuing very careful engagement" on a range of issues with Iran makes sense, adding that there is "nothing more important" than trying to convince Iran to cease its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.
The United States does not normally engage with Iran, but President Barack Obama has indicated a willingness to open dialogue.
Iran is under three sets of international sanctions over its nuclear program.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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