Post by Shadow on Jan 4, 2006 16:20:30 GMT -5
Reuters
By Paul Hughes
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran announced on Tuesday it would resume nuclear fuel research, a move sure to anger Washington and the European Union which fear the Islamic state wants to make atomic fuel to build bombs.
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said Tehran had informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog in writing that the nuclear work would resume shortly.
"Within the next few days we will start researching that field in cooperation and coordination with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," he told state television.
The news coincided with strong hints from Iran's Foreign Ministry that Tehran planned to reject a Russian compromise proposal aimed at defusing Iran's nuclear row with the West.
The two developments were likely to spark renewed calls in the West for the case to be referred to the U.N. Security Council, where Iran could face political or economic sanctions.
A referral vote could be held at the next meeting of the IEA's 35-nation governing board, scheduled for March 6. At its last session in November, the board opted to put off any vote to give time for Russia's proposal to bear fruit.
By Paul Hughes
TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran announced on Tuesday it would resume nuclear fuel research, a move sure to anger Washington and the European Union which fear the Islamic state wants to make atomic fuel to build bombs.
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said Tehran had informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog in writing that the nuclear work would resume shortly.
"Within the next few days we will start researching that field in cooperation and coordination with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)," he told state television.
The news coincided with strong hints from Iran's Foreign Ministry that Tehran planned to reject a Russian compromise proposal aimed at defusing Iran's nuclear row with the West.
The two developments were likely to spark renewed calls in the West for the case to be referred to the U.N. Security Council, where Iran could face political or economic sanctions.
A referral vote could be held at the next meeting of the IEA's 35-nation governing board, scheduled for March 6. At its last session in November, the board opted to put off any vote to give time for Russia's proposal to bear fruit.