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Iran nuclear plant 'resumes work'
 Iran has begun processing a new batch of uranium at its Isfahan nuclear plant, diplomats close to the United Nationâs nuclear watchdog have said. The news comes despite mounting pressure from the United States and European governments for Iran to halt all sensitive nuclear work. "The first drums of new uranium ore were fed into the process at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan this morning," one unnamed diplomat, who is close to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told AFP in Vienna on Wednesday. With uranium conversion resuming at the controversial plant, a statement from the European Union warned that Tehran was at a crucial juncture in its international relations. "The world is watching," said British Europe minister Douglas Alexander, representing the current British presidency of the EU at a debate on Iran at the European Parliament. "Iran must provide objective guarantees that its nuclear program is for solely peaceful purposes,â he said. He added that the EU was consulting with other countries including the US, Russia, China, India and South Africa "about the next steps". On 24 November the board of the IAEA is scheduled to meet on calls to refer Tehran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its nuclear programme. Iran had notified the IAEA in late October that it intended to process a new batch of uranium but no date was given. Posted by: Fred 2005-11-17 |
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