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Iran To Make Fuel For Medical Reactor

August 31, 2010

Iran's nuclear chief says the country is planning to produce, within a year, the nuclear fuel needed to operate a medical-purposes reactor in Tehran.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization Of Iran and also Iranian vice president, was quoted by the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency as saying Iran has been enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent purity for the Tehran reactor.

Salehi said 25 kilograms of uranium had been produced at a 20 percent purity level so far.

The United States and its allies have imposed sanctions against Iran for failing to halt uranium enrichment. Highly enriched uranium can be directed toward the production of nuclear weapons.

Iran, which says it has no plans to make an atomic weapon, earlier in August inaugurated its first nuclear power plant near the city of Bushehr.

Russia helped construct the plant and, to ease proliferation concerns, Moscow will supply the needed fuel and take back spent fuel rods.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Iran_To_Make_Fuel_For_Medical_Reactor/2143796.html

Copyright (c) 2010. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.