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Iran rejects UN's nuclear demand UK talks on Iran nuclear defiance
(about 3 hours later)
Iran has rejected UN calls to stop uranium enrichment as "unacceptable", after a report said it had missed a deadline to suspend its activities. Permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany will meet in London on Monday to discuss further sanctions against Iran, a US official has said.
Nuclear official Mohammad Saeed said there was no legal basis for demanding a suspension. The announcement came after the UN's nuclear agency confirmed that Iran had ignored a deadline to suspend its nuclear activities.
The UN report said Iran was expanding its enrichment programme. The report said Iran was expanding its enrichment programme, defying a UN resolution of December 2006.
The US says the permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany will meet on Monday in London to discuss further sanctions against Iran. Iran says the UN call for it to stop uranium enrichment is unacceptable.
Iran considers that a suspension of uranium would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules Mohammad SaeedIranian nuclear agency deputy head class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=5603&edition=1">Have your say: How to deal with Iran class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6122412.stm">Quick guide: Iran nuclear row class="" href="/1/hi/world/middle_east/6379611.stm">Tension over Iran's plans US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said he would hold talks in the UK on Monday with representatives from the five permanent UN Security Council members, plus German, on drafting a second resolution sanctioning Iran.
Iran considers that a suspension of uranium would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules Mohammad SaeediIranian nuclear agency deputy head Have your say: How to deal with Iran Quick guide: Iran nuclear row Tension over Iran's plans
Iran was "effectively thumbing its nose at the international community", he said.
But Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's nuclear agency, said the UN demands had no legal basis.
"Iran considers that a suspension of uranium would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules," he said.
"Given that, Tehran cannot accept Security Council Resolution 1737 demanding a suspension of uranium enrichment."
Iran denies Western claims it is secretly trying to build nuclear arms, saying its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful, energy-producing purposes.Iran denies Western claims it is secretly trying to build nuclear arms, saying its nuclear programme is for purely peaceful, energy-producing purposes.
While enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, highly enriched uranium can also be used to make nuclear bombs.While enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, highly enriched uranium can also be used to make nuclear bombs.
'Little progress' Installing centrifuges
"Iran considers that a suspension of uranium would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules," Mr Saeed, who is deputy head of Iran's nuclear agency, said. The report, written by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Mohamed ElBaradei, said Iran had not only failed to stop enrichment but was expanding the scale of its enrichment programme.
"Given that, Tehran cannot accept Security Council Resolution 1737 demanding a suspension of uranium enrichment."
POSSIBLE NEXT STEPS New UN resolution on tougher economic sanctions, tabled by US or European alliesUS pressure on Europeans to step up bilateral sanctionsNew initiative to get Iran back to talks Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issuePOSSIBLE NEXT STEPS New UN resolution on tougher economic sanctions, tabled by US or European alliesUS pressure on Europeans to step up bilateral sanctionsNew initiative to get Iran back to talks Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue
The best way to solve the dispute was to return to the negotiating table, he said. The six-page document said there had been little progress in clearing up outstanding questions about Iran's past nuclear activities.
The report, written by IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei, said Iran had not only failed to stop enrichment but was expanding the scale of its enrichment programme.
The six-page document said there had been little progress in clearing up outstanding questions about Iran's past nuclear activities and urged the Iranians to be co-operative.
It said Iran had expanded from research-scale to industrial-scale production of enriched uranium.It said Iran had expanded from research-scale to industrial-scale production of enriched uranium.
Two cascades of 164 centrifuges each had been installed at the enrichment facility in Natanz, with two more close to completion, it said.Two cascades of 164 centrifuges each had been installed at the enrichment facility in Natanz, with two more close to completion, it said.
A total of 3,000 centrifuges are expected to be installed in the coming months.A total of 3,000 centrifuges are expected to be installed in the coming months.
Iran was also building a heavy water reactor and heavy water production plant in defiance of the UN Security Council, the report said.Iran was also building a heavy water reactor and heavy water production plant in defiance of the UN Security Council, the report said.
It added that Tehran had agreed to interim IAEA verification procedures but not to remote monitoring at the plant, the report said. Tehran had agreed to interim IAEA verification procedures but not to remote monitoring at the plant, it added.
There would be a breach of non-proliferation safeguard rules once more than 500 centrifuges were installed.There would be a breach of non-proliferation safeguard rules once more than 500 centrifuges were installed.