'Iran enriching uranium ahead of UN deadline'

Washington, Aug 30: Iran has begun enriching a new batch of uranium just days ahead of a UN deadline for Tehran to suspend atomic fuel work or face possible sanction, The Washington Post reported today.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog, plans to disclose Iran's new enrichment work in a report due out tomorrow, the newspaper said, citing officials in Washington and European capitals who have been monitoring Iran's efforts.

The newspaper said the officials stressed that Iran's new work involved small quantities of uranium being enriched to an extremely low level that could not be used for nuclear weapons.

The UN Security Council has given Iran until tomorrow to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which can produce fuel for civilian reactors or material for nuclear bombs, and has threatened to consider sanctions unless it does so.

Iran has said it would not stop its nuclear activities, which it contends is for generating electricity.

''We've seen no indication that Iran intends to comply with the UN Security Council's condition of suspending its nuclear program,'' Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told the Post in an interview.

''Should it not comply by Thursday, and should the IAEA report confirm Iran's continued efforts to enrich uranium, the US will move to begin sanctions discussion at the United Nations, and we expect a sanctions resolution to be passed,'' Burns said.

REUTERS

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