| GEO World | | Iran to stop enrichment if given nuclear fuel | Updated at: 1913 PST, Tuesday, February 09, 2010
 TEHRAN: Iran began enriching uranium to a higher level Tuesday over the vociferous objections of the U.S. and its allies who fear the process could eventually be used to give the Islamic republic nuclear weapons.
Even before the announcement U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believed the U.N. should slap new sanctions on Iran in “weeks, not months,” according to his spokesman.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates believed the United Nations should slap new sanctions on Iran in ``weeks, not months.''
France and the U.S. said Monday Iran's action left no choice but to push harder for a fourth set of U.N. Security Council sanctions to punish Iran's nuclear defiance.
Russia, which has close ties to Iran and has opposed new sanctions, appeared to edge closer to Washington's position, saying the new enrichment plans show the suspicions about Iran's intentions are well-founded.
Iranian state television said that the process began in the presence of inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. Uranium has to be enriched to fuel nuclear power plants and Iran needs the 20 percent enriched fuel for a research reactor producing medical isotopes.
Enriching uranium to 90 percent, however, creates the material for nuclear weapons, which many countries are afraid Iran is seeking. Iran denies the charge.
Ali Akbar Salehi, a vice president as well as the head of the country's nuclear program, said the further enrichment would be unnecessary if the West found a way to provide Iran with the needed fuel.
“Whenever they provide the fuel, we will halt production of 20 percent,'' he told state TV late Monday.
Iran has so far enriched uranium to a level of 3.5 percent, which is suitable for use in fueling nuclear power plants.
On Tuesday, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast said any plan by the West to impose new Security Council resolutions would not be helpful.
China called for more talks on Tuesday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu, saying “I hope the relevant parties will step up efforts and push for progress in the dialogue and negotiations.''
Russia, another Security Council member, has also been reluctant to back new sanctions.
The nation's security chief said on Tuesday, however, that Iran's decision to enrich uranium to higher levels has added to doubts about its nuclear program. |  |
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