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Iran poised to resume nuclear fuel research

Atul Aneja

U.S. threatens to refer issue to the U.N. Council

DUBAI: Disregarding calls for restraint, Iran has announced that it would resume atomic fuel research on Monday even as talks with Russia on easing tensions over its nuclear programme were underway.

"Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it is ready to resume its nuclear research on Monday," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said during his weekly press conference on Sunday.

He added that the seals at the sites where Iran intends to conduct research work should be broken, adding, "We announced our readiness to start the work tomorrow (Monday). The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should carry out part of the work and then research will be resumed."

Earlier, Hossein Entezami, the spokesman of Iran's top security body, said that the IAEA would supervise the proposed Iranian "research activities."

However, IAEA spokesperson Melissa Flemming said in Vienna the U.N. body was seeking more information after receiving a letter from Iran.

"We received some information in a letter from Iran. It did not satisfy our

information requirements, we still need information in more details," she said.

Inspectors arrive

Iranian officials said that IAEA inspectors were already in Iran, but an agency official in Vienna said that the team was on a "routine" visit to Iran.

Iran's decision to resume fuel research after a two-and-a-half year gap has triggered strong objections from the European Union (E.U.), and a reiteration from the United States of imposing possible sanctions on Teheran.

Austria, the current E.U. President warned Iran not to resume nuclear research as it could undermine talks with the E.U. troika represented by France, Germany and Britain. "The E.U. regrets that Iran has chosen to announce this unilateral move at a moment when international confidence in the peaceful nature of its programme is far from restored," a statement said.

"It finds it surprising and unreasonable that Iran proposes to do this at a moment when ... Britain, France and Germany with the E.U. were exploring with Iran the possibility of a return to negotiations."

In the United States, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice threatened to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council.

"If negotiations have been exhausted, we have the votes, there is a resolution sitting there on the Security Council, we'll vote it."

Meanwhile, Iran and Russia were holding talks that include a proposal about uranium enrichment being undertaken in a joint facility on Russian soil.

The E.U. and the U.S. back Moscow's proposal as a way out to make sure that Iran does not divert enriched uranium for atomic weapons.

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