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Iran to take up large-scale enrichment of uranium

Atul Aneja

Jubilation at home, concern in Arab neighbourhood and Israel

DUBAI: Iran's dramatic announcement that it had broken into the nuclear technology club has led to jubilation at home but raised concerns in its Arab neighbourhood and Israel.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had on Tuesday declared that Teheran had "joined the club of nuclear countries," as its scientists had produced "enriched uranium needed to the degree for nuclear power plants." He said that the "laboratory-scale" nuclear fuel cycle work had been completed.

Without spelling out a time frame, Iran's deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi said on Wednesday that his country intended to take up large-scale uranium enrichment involving 54,000 centrifuges. "We will expand uranium enrichment to industrial scale at Natanz," Mr. Saeedi said over state-run television. He said Iran had informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear monitoring arm, that it planned to install 3,000 centrifuges at its enrichment facility in Natanz by late 2006.

Iran would then aspire to position 54,000 centrifuges, in the plant. Mr. Saeedi said that 54,000 centrifuges would produce enough enriched uranium that could power a 1000-megawat atomic power plant like the one in Bushehr, which is nearing completion in collaboration with Russia. Iranians have been insisting that they do not intend to build atomic weapons.

Mr. Ahmadinejad's declaration has been widely welcomed inside Iran. "Iranians are feeling that this accomplishment — even if it's for civilian nuclear use — is showing the West that a Third World country can attain regional super-power status," Iason Athanasiadis, a Teheran-based columnist told The Hindu . Among Iran's neighbours, Israel has responded cautiously to the Mr. Ahmadinejad's assertion. The Chief of the Israeli defence forces, Dan Halutz told a local radio station that, "The Iranians are still not there. It will take time until they have a nuclear ability and time is there for dialogue to stop the programme." Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres also advocated patience to deal with the situation. Seeking to soothe anxieties in the Arab neighbourhood, the head of Iran's supreme national security council, Ali Larijani is on a visit to Saudi Arabia. On April 7, Iran offered its Gulf neighbours, a non-aggression pact, soon after it concluded military exercises in the Strait of Hormuz-the channel through which the bulk of the region's oil is exported.

Russia urges calm

Vladimir Radyuhin reports from Moscow:

Russia warned against fanning passions over Iran's uranium enrichment claim even as it urged Teheran to suspend all nuclear work.

"I would rather not jump at conclusions because on too many occasions passions have been whipped up on the issue of Iran's nuclear programme," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday commenting on Teheran's announcement that it had enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.

He recalled that the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, had not found Iran in violation of its non-proliferation obligations.

"IAEA is the main authority on Iran. As of to date the agency has not established any proliferation threats from Iran, even though it continues to clarify remaining questions," Mr. Lavrov said expressing the hope that the current visit of IAEA head Al Baradei to Teheran would facilitate efforts to defuse the Iran crisis.

The Russian Foreign Minister also reiterated Moscow's opposition to military action against Iran.

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