Russia condemns Iran's nuclear announcement - Tass

MOSCOW, Apr 12 (Reuters) Iran's announcement that it had enriched uranium is a ''step in the wrong direction'', Russia's Foreign Ministry said today, Itar-Tass news agency reported.

''It goes counter to the decisions of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the statement of the UN Security Council,'' Tass quoted a ministry spokesman as saying.

''(Iran should) stop all work to enrich uranium, including research.'' Yesterday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had produced the enriched uranium needed to make nuclear fuel for the first time, triggering a warning from Washington.

Tensions over Iran's nuclear programme have been high in recent months, and the United Nations has said Iran must halt uranium enrichment, a process Western nations believe Tehran wants to master so that it can develop weapons.

Tehran insists its aims are entirely peaceful.

The Russian ministry spokesman did not say if Russia would back sanctions against Iran. Moscow has until now opposed such a step, saying such measures would be counterproductive.

Russia is one of the five states that have a veto in the Security Council.

Reuters KD SP1310