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Iran 'has second enrichment site' Iran 'has second enrichment site'
(30 minutes later)
Iran has revealed to the UN nuclear watchdog the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant, reports say.Iran has revealed to the UN nuclear watchdog the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant, reports say.
Tehran made the announcement in a letter to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammed ElBaradei, sources are quoted as saying.Tehran made the announcement in a letter to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohammed ElBaradei, sources are quoted as saying.
Iran has previously acknowledged it has one enrichment plant at Natanz, some 250km (150 miles) south of Tehran. Iran has previously acknowledged it has one enrichment plant at Natanz, which IAEA inspectors are monitoring.
If confirmed, the reports will stoke fears that Iran is closer than thought to building a nuclear bomb.
The Iranian authorities have always insisted their nuclear programme is for peaceful means.
But the US and other Western nations fear Tehran is planning to develop an atomic weapon.
Iran is supposed to have stopped all enrichment under threat of sanctions from the UN Security Council.Iran is supposed to have stopped all enrichment under threat of sanctions from the UN Security Council.
News of the Iranian letter comes days before Iran is due to enter fresh talks over its controversial nuclear programme.News of the Iranian letter comes days before Iran is due to enter fresh talks over its controversial nuclear programme.
'Comprehensive' talks
Diplomats close to the IAEA said Mr ElBaradei received the letter from Iran earlier this week, the Associated Press and Reuters reports.Diplomats close to the IAEA said Mr ElBaradei received the letter from Iran earlier this week, the Associated Press and Reuters reports.
Officials speaking to the AP said the letter contained no details about the location of the second facility, when it had started operations or the type and number of centrifuges it was running.
Speaking to the BBC, the IAEA would neither confirm nor deny the reports, saying only that it was taking a serious look at the information.Speaking to the BBC, the IAEA would neither confirm nor deny the reports, saying only that it was taking a serious look at the information.
If confirmed, the development would encourage fears that Iran has other secret facilities that could be used to make a nuclear bomb, the BBC's Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, says in London. This development, if confirmed, will encourage fears that Iran has other secret facilities that could be used to make a nuclear bomb, the BBC's Tehran correspondent, Jon Leyne, says in London.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear programme is for peaceful means. Natanz, some 250km (150 miles) south of Tehran, had been kept secret until its existence was revealed by exiled groups several years ago, he adds.
But the US and other Western nations fear Tehran is planning to develop an atomic weapon. Iran has been under months of pressure to accept US President Barack Obama's offer of talks on its nuclear ambitions.
Earlier this month, Tehran agreed to "comprehensive" talks on a range of security issues - but made no mention of its own nuclear programme.
The talks are due to be held in Geneva on 1 October with Tehran and the five permanent UN Security Council members - US, UK, Russia, China and France - plus Germany.
Russia has signalled it might be prepared to soften its opposition to further sanctions against Iran, although China has said such pressure wound not be effective.