U.N. removes seals at Iran nuke site
(AP)
Updated: 2005-08-10 21:19

U.N. inspectors removed the final seals from equipment at a uranium conversion plant in central Iran on Wednesday, paving the way for Tehran to fully open the facility despite U.S. and European calls for it to maintain a suspension, reported the Associated Press. 

In Vienna, Austria, diplomats with the International Atomic Energy Agency were discussing how to persuade Iran to step back from its nuclear activities and de-escalate its standoff with the West over U.S. allegations that it secretly plans to build atomic bombs.

But the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, made clear that Iran would not be deterred from developing its nuclear program, which it says is for peaceful purposes.

Iran began work at the Uranium Conversion Facility in Isfahan, 255 miles south of Tehran, on Monday, but some key units at the facility remained under seal by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency since a November suspension in activity as part of negotiations.

The agency confirmed that its seals at the plant were broken Wednesday, as it postponed a meeting so diplomats could seek consensus over how to rebuke Iran for resuming activities that could lead to an atomic weapon.

The agency said it had a surveillance system in place at the facility to keep tabs on the work.

Washington suspects Tehran of having a clandestine nuclear weapons program, and President Bush said Tuesday he was "deeply suspicious" about Iran's intentions. But there appeared to be little stomach at the IAEA meeting in Vienna for referring the issue to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose punitive sanctions.

In conversion, yellowcake is turned into UF-6 gas. In the next stage of the process �� which Iran has said it will not resume for the time being �� the gas is fed in centrifuges for enrichment. Uranium enriched to a low level is used to produce nuclear fuel; further enrichment makes it suitable for use in an atomic bomb.

Last week, Britain, France and Germany, which are negotiating with Iran on behalf of the European Union, offered Iran a package of aid measures and support for a civilian nuclear program in exchange for Iran's promising to abandon enrichment.

Iran rejected the package, insisting that as a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty it has the right to enrich uranium. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the proposals were an "insult" to the Islamic Republic.

The German and French governments warned Iran that if it did not reconsider its rejection, the IAEA was likely to refer the country to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions.

But the draft resolution before the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors in Vienna does not mention the Security Council. Written by Britain, France and Germany, the text expresses "serious concern" about the resumption of conversion in Isfahan and urges Iran to cooperate by "re-establishing full suspension of all enrichment-related activities."

The IAEA canceled a session tentatively planned for Wednesday afternoon, signaling disagreement over the wording. Diplomats were expected to continue negotiations privately on a resolution urging Iran to suspend its latest nuclear activities.

"They need more time," IAEA spokesman Peter Rickwood said.

Iran has said it would rather be referred to the Security Council rather than give up its right to control the entire cycle of nuclear fuel �� from mining uranium to enriching it.

Iran suspended enrichment and related activities, such as conversion, in October 2003 to build trust while negotiations with the Europeans proceeded. But it has expressed frustration with the talks, and has been threatening for weeks to resume parts of its enrichment program.

The United States says Iran seeks to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is only for producing electricity.

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