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Iran denies report

Tehran: An Iranian nuclear agency official has denied claims made by a top lawmaker that the Islamic Republic had begun installing 3,000 centrifuges at an uranium enrichment plant, Iran's state-run news agency reported.

Hossein Simorgh, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organisation public relations department, said ``no new centrifuges have been installed in Natanz,'' referring to the nuclear facility in central Iran, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported late on Saturday night.

Earlier, lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Iran was installing the centrifuges, underlining that it would continue to develop its disputed nuclear programme despite U.N. sanctions. It was not immediately clear why the two officials made contradicting statements.

Iranian officials have in recent weeks said the country was moving toward large-scale enrichment involving 3,000 centrifuges, which spin uranium gas into enriched material.

U.S. letter

The Foreign Ministry said Tehran had received a letter from the U.S. which sought to resolve a dispute between the two countries. ``There has been a message from American officials,'' he spokesman said. He did not provide any information on the content of the note or identify the U.S. officials who sent it. — AP

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