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US says 'Iran's time running out' 'Months notice' on Iranian sites
(about 1 hour later)
Time is running out for Iran if it wants to avoid sanctions over its nuclear programme, the US has said. Iran will inform UN nuclear inspectors where 10 planned installations are only six months before they become operational, Tehran has said.
The announcement comes after Tehran continued to defy the six countries trying to negotiate a deal over their nuclear material. Friday's announcement came after the US warned Iran that "time was running out" if it wanted to avoid sanctions over its nuclear programme.
They believe Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, but Iran says its programme is for civilian use. Iran said its timetable was legitimate under international agreements.
Iran has rejected a deal suggested to allay international fears over Iran's attempts to enrich uranium. It maintains that its programme is peaceful, despite international fears it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
Tehran has continued to defy the six nations - the US, UK, France, Germany, China and Russia - trying to negotiate a deal over their nuclear material.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced last week that his country would build another 10 secret facilities to enrich uranium, although experts doubt whether it has the resources to do so.
He has also said Iran plans to enrich uranium to 20%, a higher level than at present.
On Friday Iranian officials said they would allow nuclear inspectors in to the plants six months before they started up centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
Control
Iran has also rejected a deal suggested by negotiators to allay international fears that it is attempting to enrich uranium to the degree necessary to make a nuclear weapon.
The deal would have regulated Iran's access to its nuclear material by sending it abroad to be enriched.
Under the plan, the return of the enriched uranium would be controlled and its use limited to use in a reactor near Tehran which is monitored by the International Atomic Energy Authority.
Last week, the IAEA voted to rebuke Iran for building a second facility in secret under a mountain near the city of Qom.
On Thursday Iran's Parliament responded saying it would review relations with counties that had backed the condemnation of the Tehran government at the IAEA.
Russia, previously considered an ally of Iran, had joined the vote.
But on Thursday Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin apparently eased its pressure on Iran, declining to answer a question on possible sanctions at a televised question-and-answer session.
Russia had "no information that Iran is working on the creation of a nuclear weapon" Mr Putin said.
Civilian nuclear power requires uranium enriched to about 3%, but weapons grade uranium needs to be enriched to 90%.
Iran has declared its intention to enrich uranium to 20%.
Existing UN sanctions are meant to prevent the flow of any items or technology which might aid Iran in enriching uranium or developing nuclear weapon delivery systems.Existing UN sanctions are meant to prevent the flow of any items or technology which might aid Iran in enriching uranium or developing nuclear weapon delivery systems.
But further sanctions might be imposed if diplomacy fails, negotiators say.But further sanctions might be imposed if diplomacy fails, negotiators say.
"Time is running out. That deadline is the end of the year," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told journalists on Wednesday."Time is running out. That deadline is the end of the year," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told journalists on Wednesday.
Enrichment plans
Six nations - the US, UK, France, Germany, China and Russia - have been involved in co-ordinating the UN Security Council's position on Iran.
They suggested uranium enrichment for civilian nuclear energy could be regulated if Iran handed over its uranium to Russia to manage the process.
But Iran rejected that suggestion.
On Wednesday President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Iran will stick to its plans to enrich its own uranium to a higher degree than at present.
On Thursday Iran's Parliament said it would review relations with counties who had backed a condemnation of the Tehran government at the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Russia, previously considered an ally of Iran, had joined the vote at the UN International Atomic Energy Agency that condemned Iran for the cover-up of a second nuclear facility in the mountains near Qom.
But on Thursday Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin apparently eased its pressure on Iran, declining to answer a question on possible sanctions at a televised question-and-answer session.
Russia had "no information that Iran is working on the creation of a nuclear weapon" Mr Putin said.
Meanwhile the White House renewed appeals Thursday for Tehran to shed light on the case of a former FBI agent who disappeared 1,000 days ago while visiting an Iranian resort island in the Gulf.
Robert Levinson, who retired from the FBI a decade ago, had travelled to Kish Island to investigate cigarette counterfeiting in the region, his wife says.