Iran says will enrich uranium at Natanz

Iran will enrich uranium to a level of 20 percent at its Natanz enrichment facility, should talks on supplying the fuel needed for the Tehran research reactor fail to bear fruit, a top nuclear official says.

“As Iranian president [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] announced, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) will start enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent if talks on fuel swap fail to achieve an outcome,” AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi told the Islamic Republic News Agency on Sunday.

“The enrichment will carry out at Natanz site, since the Fordo facility has yet to become operational,” he added.

“Iran offered the Western countries to supply the fuel because the president intended to prepare the ground for them to interact with Iran and to settle the standoff [over they country’s nuclear program],” Salehi said.

Earlier on Sunday, President Ahmadinejad tasked Iran’s atomic chief with enriching uranium to 20 percent in order to meet the demands of the country’s cancer patients.

“Mr. Salehi you start enriching up to 20 percent and we are still open to negotiations on the issue,” he said.

Iran needs 120 kg (264 lb) of 20 percent-enriched uranium to fuel the Tehran research reactor, which produces medical isotopes for cancer patients.

The Tehran research reactor, which produces 20 different kinds of radio-medicine for cancer patients, runs on 20 percent-enriched U-235 — an enrichment level higher than what is currently produced at Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility.

Iran has requested the International Atomic Energy Agency to arrange for the supplying of the fuel to the country. The West has been pressuring Iran to accept a UN-backed draft deal which requires Iran to send most of its domestically-produced low enriched uranium abroad for conversion into fuel.

Iran says its concerns over the proposal, which was first floated by the US, should be heeded.