Iran announced Saturday that it had designated 16 new sites for nuclear power plants and made a significant discovery of new uranium deposits, days before the Islamic Republic was scheduled to partake in talks with Western powers in Kazakhstan over its controversial nuclear program."Following months of efforts, 16 new sites for nuclear power plants have been designated in coastal areas of the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, [southwestern province of] Khuzestan and northwestern part of the country," Press TV quoted the Atomic Energy Organization as saying.
The agency stated that the nuclear plants were being established for electricity generation only, and were in line with international standards.
The organization added that Iran has found significant new deposits of raw uranium to feed its nuclear program.