Iran Says It May Resume Uranium Enrichment Any Time
Al Hayat 2004/09/20
Tehran
Iran may resume uranium enrichment "any moment," the nation's Intelligence Minister warned as Tehran toughened its rhetoric against an international demand it stop all enrichment activities to allay global concerns it is developing nuclear weapons.
Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi's remarks on state television came two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) demanded an end to all Iranian enrichment-related activities, including the production and testing of centrifuges used in the process.
Tehran earlier self-imposed a narrower suspension, only on actual enrichment, injecting uranium gas into centrifuges.
"We suspended (enrichment) voluntarily and we may continue it voluntarily," Yunesi said. "And we may resume any moment."
Iran hardened its position despite calls by the chief of IAEA Mohamed Baradei, the United States, and the European Union. Today, they all urged Iran to heed the IAEA's unanimous resolution meant to curb Iranian access to technology that can be used to make nuclear weapons.
IAEA is to report on Iran's compliance in November.
"The resolution is illegal," Yunesi said. "The Islamic Republic of Iran ... will ignore the provisions of the resolution because it is beyond the responsibilities of the IAEA."
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, said Sunday that the IAEA's demand for a halt to uranium enrichment and related activities were "illegal," but he stopped short of outright rejection of the resolution and held out the possibility of negotiations.
"We are committed to the suspension of actual enrichment, but we have no decision to expand the suspension," Rowhani said then. Iran suspended enrichment last year, but has always insisted the move was temporary.
"No resolution can impose an obligation on Iran to suspend activities. If there is a way, it will be the way of dialogue," he said, adding that dialogue was even possible with the United States.
"We had talks with America under the auspices of the United Nations over Afghanistan and Iraq in the past," Rowhani said. "I don't want to say dialogue with America is ruled out over our nuclear dossier."
In Vienna, the vice president and head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, told an IAEA conference his country will "continue its nuclear activities without interruption."
Rowhani said Sunday a uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, central Iran, was continuing to operate and Iran had no dependency on the outside world to control the whole nuclear fuel cycle -- from extracting uranium ore to enriching it.
The Isfahan facility converts uranium powder called yellowcake into hexafluoride gas, a stage prior to enrichment. The IAEA resolution wants the facility to halt operations.
Rowhani also said Iran's construction of a heavy-water production facility in central Iran that the IAEA wants to stop was in the "final stages" and Tehran was "just months away" from producing heavy water. Such a facility could help Iran produce plutonium, which can be used to build an atomic bomb.
The United States accuses Iran of secretly trying to build nuclear weapons under cover of a peaceful nuclear program. Iran says its program is only for producing electricity.
In its resolution Saturday, the IAEA board of directors unanimously said it "considers it necessary" that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and related programs. It expressed alarm at Iranian plans to convert more than 40 tons of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride -- the gas that turns into enriched uranium when spun in centrifuges.
It called on the IAEA chief to provide a review of the investigation into Iran's nuclear activities by November when the board "will decide if further steps are appropriate." The phrase suggested Iran could have to answer to the UN Security Council if it defies the demands, something the United States has advocated.
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