The United States and the European Union have added their own sanctions on
Iran, but the Islamic republic has defiantly said it would continue with its
nuclear activities.
The IAEA report in May said there were 9,330 installed centrifuges in Natanz,
of which 8,818 were being fed uranium hexafluoride gas to produce enriched
uranium.
The Fordo facility, near the holy city of Qom, had 696 working centrifuges,
the report said.
The enrichment activities have produced stockpiles of uranium enriched to
purities of 3.5 per cent and 19.75 per cent.
Iran says the former is to fuel its nuclear power reactor in the southern city
of Bushehr, while the higher-grade uranium is to make medical isotopes for
cancer patients in its Tehran research reactor.
Western powers, though, fear the 19.75-per cent enriched uranium could, in
just a few technical steps more, be processed into bomb-grade, 90-percent
uranium.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful, but has rebuffed
repeated attempts by the IAEA to expand its ongoing surveillance and
inspections, notably to include a suspect sprawling military facility in
Parchin, outside Tehran.
Source: AFP
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