The announcement by the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, was made shortly after the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, said the United States henceforth apply the “path pressure “to prevent Iran from continuing its nuclear program accelerated.
” Inshallah (God willing), we may begin the next Iranian year the construction of two enrichment pl1000ants by order of President “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Salehi.
” Each of these two plants have the same capacity (…) that the Natanz enrichment plant, “he said. The Natanz facility, the only currently in Iran, can contain up to 50,000 centrifuges.
“We envision using new centrifuges at these two plants,” Salehi said, adding that “the new plants will be built in the heart of the mountains “to be” protected against any attack. “
The head of the U.S. armed forces, Admiral Mike Mullen, said that a possible attack on Iran would not be “decisive in itself” to end Iran”s nuclear program, it supported using diplomatic and economic pressure.
However, Washington did not miss the opportunity to draw attention to Iran. The State Department spokesman, Philip Crowley, said the new ad “is further proof that Iran is refusing to engage constructively to cooperate with the IAEA,” the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Last November, Iran”s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that his country would build ten new uranium enrichment plants, after the great powers vigorously protested the construction of a second Iranian enrichment plant near the Shiite holy city of Qom.
According to the latest IAEA report, Iran”s 8610 centrifuges installed at Natanz, 3772 of which are enriching uranium under its supervision.
On the diplomatic front, European nations met in Brussels on Monday appeared divided on the issue of increasing sanctions against Iran.
“Unfortunately, all actions of the Iranian side confirmed for weeks that we should encourage (more) sanctions, “said French European Affairs Minister, Pierre Lellouche.
However, several of its European counterparts said they had diplomatic avenues exhausted and stressed the need for a Security Council decision.
Major powers suspect Iran is enriching uranium to make nuclear weapons, an accusation that the Islamic Republic denies.
Enriched uranium can be used as fuel in nuclear reactors or in a highly refined to produce the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
Salehi”s announcement is certain to increase tensions with Western powers, who have increased their efforts to launch a fourth round of sanctions against Iran for continuing its nuclear program.
Iran dismisses trigger war but will respond “brutally” to any attack, said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani in an interview published Monday by the Croatian daily Vecernji List.
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