Iran to enrich uranium to 20% as nuclear fears grow
The enrichment would take place at Natanz. Photo by DigitalGlobe
Iran has announced immediate plans to step up its nuclear programme, which Western nations fear could be used to make a bomb.
Its nuclear chief said Iran would start enriching uranium to 20% from Tuesday, and that 10 new uranium enrichment plants would be built in the next year.
Ali Akbar Salehi said the enrichment would take place at Natanz, Iran’s main uranium enrichment plant.
The move heightens fears Iran is moving closer to weapons-grade uranium.
ANALYSIS
Jon Leyne, BBC News
Iran is stepping up the pace of its nuclear confrontation with the West.
If the aim is to have all 10 new enrichment plants running in a year, then it is almost laughably ambitious – it has taken many years to get the first plant at Natanz running and it still has problems.
But this flurry of announcements reflects the turmoil faced by President Ahmadinejad’s government, as they square up for a major day of pro- and anti-government demonstrations on the anniversary of the revolution.
Western countries have criticised Iran for stalling on a deal over its enrichment programme.
The latest development comes days before Iran celebrates the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
The event is expected to see pro- and anti-government demonstrations.
Witnesses say the situation in the Iranian capital Tehran is increasingly tense, with a series of checkpoints already set up across the city.
Major step
Speaking on Sunday evening, Mr Salehi said he would inform the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), of the enrichment plan in a formal letter on Monday.
NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE
Iran is planning to increase its uranium enrichment from 3.5% to 20%
To make a bomb uranium must be 90% enriched. Nuclear reactors usually require 4% enrichment
Uranium ore is purified and reconstituted into solid form known as yellowcake
Yellowcake is processed into a gas
Gas is fed through centrifuges, where its isotopes separate and process is repeated until uranium is enriched
In depth: Nuclear fuel cycle
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However, he added that production would be halted if Iran received fuel enriched to 20% from abroad.
The country earlier appeared ready to exchange its low-enriched uranium for higher-grade foreign fuel but wanted changes to a UN-drafted plan.
“Iran would halt its enrichment process for the Tehran research reactor any time it receives the necessary fuel for it,” Mr Salehi said.
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 bomb would require uranium enriched to at least 90%.
To achieve 20% enrichment would be such a major step for Iran, David Albright of Washington’s Institute for Science and International Security told the Associated Press news agency, it “would be going most of the rest of the way to weapon-grade uranium”.
Diplomats alarmed
News of the enrichment move, which was ordered by President Ahmadinejad on Sunday, alarmed Western diplomats.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith called the announcement a “serious provocation” that “risks testing the patience of the international community”.
A UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said the report was “clearly a matter of serious concern”, while US Defence Secretary Robert Gates called for further “international pressure” on Iran.
“The international community has offered the Iranian government multiple opportunities to provide reassurance of its intentions,” he said on a visit to Rome.
“The results have been very disappointing.”
He added that he believed there was “still time for sanctions and pressure to work” if the international community united on the issue.
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