State television says Iran has built "fourth generation" centrifuges and produced its own reactor fuel plates.
Iran has made advances in its nuclear programme, building new uranium enrichment centrifuges and producing its own nuclear reactor fuel plates, state television says.
Iran has developed "fourth generation centrifuges" made of carbon fibre that are "speedier, produce less waste and occupy less space" as they spin at supersonic speeds to purify uranium, according to Wednesday's announcement.
Iran also created its own 20 per cent fuel plates for a research reactor in Tehran whose stock of fuel sourced from Argentina in the 1990s is running low, the report said.
State television also said that Iran had made progress in 20 percent uranium enrichment at its Natanz facility, beyond enrichment activities already under way there.
The claimed breakthrough, which is expected to be confirmed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later on Wednesday, is likely to further unsettle the US and allies who believe Iran is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons.
Iran's letter to EU
Iran earlier replied to a letter sent nearly four months ago by Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, proposing a resumption of stalled talks with world powers on its nuclear programme, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The letter, written by chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and handed to Ashton's office, reads: "Iran welcomes the readiness of the P5+1 group to return to negotiations in order to take fundamental steps toward further co-operation."
The P5+1 consists of the five permanent UN Security Council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - plus non-permanent member Germany.
Iran's letter to EU
Iran earlier replied to a letter sent nearly four months ago by Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, proposing a resumption of stalled talks with world powers on its nuclear programme, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The letter, written by chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and handed to Ashton's office, reads: "Iran welcomes the readiness of the P5+1 group to return to negotiations in order to take fundamental steps toward further co-operation."
The P5+1 consists of the five permanent UN Security Council members - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - plus non-permanent member Germany.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for exclusively peaceful, civilian purposes.
Unprecedentedly tough US and EU economic sanctions have been imposed on Iran in recent weeks and months in an attempt to push it to halt its nuclear programme.
In response, Tehran has threatened to retaliate by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the main Gulf oil shipping lane.
The UN nuclear watchdog expressed strong suspicions in November that Iran's programme had a military component.
It is to send a high-level delegation back to Iran next week to discuss concerns, following inconclusive talks in Tehran late last month.
The UN nuclear watchdog expressed strong suspicions in November that Iran's programme had a military component.
It is to send a high-level delegation back to Iran next week to discuss concerns, following inconclusive talks in Tehran late last month.
No comments:
Post a Comment