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US wants Iran sanctions in weeks

Posted on: Wed February 10, 2010

TEHRAN: The United States said on Tuesday that it wanted a UN sanctions resolution on Iran within weeks as Iran further expanded its nuclear programme in defiance of growing international pressure.

The Islamic Republic, which denies its programme has military aims, said on Sunday it would enrich uranium to20-per cent purity for a reactor making isotopes for cancer patients. On Tuesday it announced the work had begun.

The big powers have already stepped up discussions on next moves. Russia sent its strongest signal yet that it could back a fourth set of UN sanctions over Iran s nuclear programme.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told Fox News: I think it s going to take some period of timeI would say weeks, not monthsto see if we can t get another UN Security Council resolution, according to the transcript of his interview.

Despite its denials, Western powers fear Iran is enriching uranium with a view to producing nuclear weapons.

State television quoted Iranian nuclear agency chief Ali Akbar Salehi as saying that enrichment to 20 per cent started in the Natanz facility under the supervision of the (International Atomic Energy Agency).

This followed a failure to agree on a swap with big powers, including Russia, under which Iran would have sent most of its low-enriched uranium abroad in return for 20-per cent-pure fuel rods for the reactor. Iran currently enriches uranium to 3.5 per cent purity.

Salehi said Iran had set up a chain of 164 centrifuges to refine the uranium to 20 per cent purity. He said the production capacity was 3 to 5 kg a month, above the Tehran reactor s needs of 1.5 kg, ISNA news agency reported.

Although a nuclear bomb requires about 90 per cent purity, getting to 20 per cent is a big step because low-level enrichment is the most time-consuming and difficult stage of the process.

Iran currently has no nuclear power plants able to use the low-enriched uranium it has already produced, and also lacks the technology to convert the 20 per cent pure uranium into the fuel rods needed to run the medical reactor.

 I think Iran all along intended to enrich to 20 per cent, said Mark Fitzpatrick, proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, ostensibly to supply the research reactor but also to gain experience enriching to higher levels that would prove useful for weapons production.

Russia, which in the past has urged talks rather than sanctions, said Iran s new enrichment drive was a clear breach of United Nations resolutions and that Western concerns over Iran s true nuclear intentions were well-founded.

 Political-diplomatic methods are important for a resolution, but there is a limit to everything, said Nikolai Patrushev, powerful secretary of the presidential Security Council, according to Interfax news agency. The Foreign Ministry issued a similarly strong statement.

Among the big powers only China, which can block any UN sanctions, has remained unswervingly opposed to punishing Iran.

On Tuesday it urged increased diplomatic efforts, calling for all sides to work towards a deal on the fuel exchange plan.

Possible targets for any new sanctions include Iran s central bank, the Revolutionary Guards, who Western powers say are key to Iran s nuclear programme, shipping firms and its energy sector, Western diplomats say.

Analysts say Iran will need a few months to reconfigure the Natanz plant to refine uranium to higher purity.

It may also have difficulty obtaining crucial components due to UN sanctions, said the analysts.

Salehi told state TV on Monday that Iran was still prepared to carry out the fuel swap if its conditions were met.

 The president announced that we will start production of 20per cent enriched uranium, but he has kept the doors of interaction open...which means we would stop working (enrichment to 20 pct) if they provide us the necessary fuel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Iran s sworn enemy Israel, widely believed to be the region s only nuclear armed state, demanded immediate sanctions against Iran.

 Iran is racing forward to produce nuclear weapons, Netanyahu told European diplomats. This means crippling sanctions and these sanctions must be applied right now.

Courtesy : The News