Iran's senior nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union
foreign policy chief Javier Solana agreed on Thursday evening that
talks about Iran's nuclear program would resume on April 25, Iran's
state television reported.
"Iran is always ready for constructive talks over its peaceful
nuclear program, while observing its legal rights," Larijani was
quoted as saying.
Thursday also saw a condemnation of Iran by US National Security
Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe, saying that Tehran's latest
round of nuclear activity showed its utter defiance of the
international community, a potential for new sanctions.
"Iran's leaders continue to lead their proud people down a path
of further isolation. While their leaders see this as an advance,
it is only a step backward," said Johndroe.
In a recent confidential report, the IAEA revealed that Iran,
blithely ignoring two sets of UN sanctions imposed upon it since
December, had begun feeding small amounts of uranium gas to around
1,300 centrifuge machines that can enrich the gas to a dangerous
weapons-grade level.
"Some UF6 (uranium hexafluoride gas) is being fed into those
cascades," International Atomic Energy Agency head of safeguards
Ollie Heinonen wrote in a letter sent Wednesday to Iran's
ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh.
The United States has issued a unilateral demand that Iran cease
this enrichment since the process could eventually lead to a
nuclear bomb. Iran has consistently dismissed these charges,
affirming its nuclear program is solely for civilian power
generation.
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)
