Iran to resume uranium enrichment

Iran does not want to rely on foreign fickle sources to meet essential energy needs the Iranian parliament seems to indicate in its latest decision to move ahead with requiring internal Iranian capabilities to enrich uranium.

The official Iranian news agaency IRNA reported that : the Parliament will oblige Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) to produce part of the nuclear fuel needed for the country's reactors, a senior nuclear energy official announced here Sunday. According to the IAEO's deputy head for international affairs and planning, Mohammad Saeedi, parliament will present a bill to "task Iran's Atomic Energy Organization with meeting part of the fuel for the country's atomic plants."

"As repeatedly announced by the country's authorities, including the president, Iran's planning is such that it will conclude (construction) of its atomic plants and meet part of their fuel supply within the country," he told IRNA.

IRNA added that "This will mark Tehran's rejection of the Europeans' efforts to persuade Iran on permanent suspension of uranium enrichment in their negotiations. Iran agreed last November to suspend uranium enrichment under an agreement reached in Paris with Britain, France and Germany, which represent the European Union, in exchange for trade, technology and security incentives."

IRNA added: Uranium enrichment is allowed under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory, and the country wants it as part of its efforts to master a nuclear fuel cycle. Earlier Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi insisted that Iran would not give up construction of a heavy-water reactor in exchange for a light-water reactor offered by the Europeans. Saeedi said, "Iran's planning is also such that it takes the issue of suspension of uranium enrichment out of the negotiations context." The official reiterated 'the definitive position of the Islamic Republic to continue uranium enrichment', saying the country's suspension of the process so far has only been for "removing international misunderstanding."