Iran Orders Boost in Uranium Enrichment

Iran says it needs uranium enriched to 20 percent to fuel a medical research reactor

08 February 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wears eye protection goggles as he visits an exhibition of Iran's laser science, in Tehran, Iran, 7 Feb 2010

Iran says it has informed the U.N. nuclear agency it plans to further enrich its uranium in defiance of international demands that it stop. Iran's processing program would likely need reconfiguring first, prompting speculation the announcement may have more to do with nuclear negotiations with the West than imminent enrichment.

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says he gave the U.N. watchdog notice of Tehran's plans Monday, in an apparent formal rejection of a U.N. plan to have the uranium enriched abroad.

The move follows an announcement by Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, that Iran will enrich some of its current stockpile to 20 percent, starting Tuesday.

Speaking to Iran's Arabic al-Alam television, Salehi said Iran would start the process in the presence of inspectors and observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad had ordered the further enrichment in a televised address, one of the many varying, unofficial responses Iranian officials have given to the U.N. plan.

The IAEA wants Iran to send most of its uranium stockpile to Russia and France to boost it to 20 percent and turn it into fuel rods. Such rods would be very difficult to enrich even more, for example to the 90 percent needed to make nuclear weapons.