Iran informs IAEA about higher-grade uranium enrichment plan

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks while visiting an exhibition of Iran laser science and technology in Tehran Feb. 7, 2010. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Iran handed over a letter on Monday to the international nuclear watchdog informing it about the Islamic Republic's plan to produce 20 percent enriched uranium, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"Iran officially informed (the International Atomic Energy Agency) about its plan to start its enrichment activities to the purity of 20 percent," Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told Fars.

In the letter, Iran asked IAEA inspectors to monitor the enrichment process, since all of the country's nuclear activities are under the watch of the IAEA, Soltanieh was quoted by Fars as saying.

The higher-grade uranium will be used as the fuel for a Tehran research reactor, according to Soltanieh.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said on Sunday that Iran will begin 20 percent uranium enrichment on Tuesday, Iran's state-run satellite channel Press TV reported.

Iran will inform the IAEA of its plan to enrich 20 percent uranium on Monday and the enrichment will begin on Tuesday, Press TV quoted Salehi as saying.

Earlier on Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the AEOI to start work on enriching uranium to a purity of 20 percent, the Mehr news agency reported.

However, Ahmadinejad said Iran is still ready for exchange of nuclear fuel with world powers, the report said.

Source: Xinhua