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| Iran 'plans new enrichment sites' | Iran 'plans new enrichment sites' |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Iran's government has approved plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants, according to state media. | |
| The government told the Iranian nuclear agency to begin work on five sites, with five more to be located over the next two months. | |
| It comes days after the UN nuclear watchdog rebuked Iran for covering up a uranium enrichment plant. | It comes days after the UN nuclear watchdog rebuked Iran for covering up a uranium enrichment plant. |
| Western powers say Iran is trying to develop nuclear arms. Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. | Western powers say Iran is trying to develop nuclear arms. Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful. |
| BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says Sunday's announcement is a massive act of defiance likely to bring forward direct confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme. | BBC Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne says Sunday's announcement is a massive act of defiance likely to bring forward direct confrontation over Iran's nuclear programme. |
| Iran says the new plants would be of a similar size to its main existing one at Natanz. | |
| President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his cabinet that parliament had ordered that Iran should produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy by 2020. | |
| It therefore needed to make 250-300 tonnes of nuclear fuel a year, he said, which would require 500,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium. | |
| Natanz has nearly 5,000 working centrifuges, with plans to build 54,000 in all. | |
| Under the plan Mr Ahmadinejad presented to the cabinet, the level of enrichment would also be increased. | |
| Such a move would be in direct contravention of UN Security Council resolutions, our correspondent says, though Iran counters that it is simply doing what is allowed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. | |
| On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution that was heavily critical of Iran for covering up a uranium enrichment plant near the town of Qom. | On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution that was heavily critical of Iran for covering up a uranium enrichment plant near the town of Qom. |
| Earlier on Sunday it was reported that the Iranian parliament had urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government to reduce co-operation with the IAEA. | Earlier on Sunday it was reported that the Iranian parliament had urged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government to reduce co-operation with the IAEA. |