IRAN: Iran defied the United Nations yesterday by announcing it has begun converting a large amount of raw uranium to prepare it for enrichment, a process that can be used to develop atomic bombs.
The announcement was likely to provoke an angry reaction from Washington and increase suspicion in Israel, which plans to buy 500 "bunker-buster" bombs from the United States that could take out Iran's underground atomic facilities.
Mr Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, told reporters Iran had begun converting 37 tonnes of raw "yellowcake" uranium to process it for use in nuclear centrifuges, the machines that enrich uranium.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, adopted a resolution on Saturday calling on Iran to suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment.
The United States, Russia and the European Union reinforced the message on Monday by urging Tehran to comply.
"Some of the amount of the 37 tonnes has been used. The tests have been successful, but these tests have to be continued using the rest of the material," said Mr Aghazadeh, one of Iran's vice-presidents, who is attending a general conference of the IAEA in Vienna.
One nuclear expert has said that, once converted from yellowcake into uranium hexafluoride, the feed material for enrichment centrifuges, Iran would eventually be able to enrich enough uranium for up to five nuclear weapons.
The IAEA is aware of Iran's plan to convert the uranium for the enrichment process and said it would monitor the tests.
"[The IAEA head] Dr Mohamed ElBaradei continues to call on Iran, as did the board, to suspend such a test as part of their confidence-building measures," a spokeswoman, Ms Melissa Fleming, said.
President Mohammad Khatami said Iran was determined to press ahead with its atomic programme even if it brought an end to UN checks of the Islamic republic's nuclear sites.
"We are determined to obtain peaceful atomic technology even if it causes the stop of international supervision," he said.
"\ has a continuous record of making and then breaking promises, both to the board as well as to others," a US State Department official said in New York, where the Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, is attending the UN General Assembly.
"This is the pattern of a country that has not made the strategic decision to give up its nuclear weapons programme."
Iran had promised Britain, France and Germany last October it would freeze all activities related to uranium enrichment.
But Tehran angered the EU's "big three" by announcing earlier this year that the production of feed material for centrifuges would not be included in the freeze.
The resolution said the IAEA board would consider whether "further steps" would be necessary if Iran failed to implement the suspension.
This, diplomats said, would mean a referral to the UN Security Council and possibly economic sanctions.
The United States and some other nations believe Tehran intends to use fissile material for weapons.
Iran denies that and says its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes.
Israel has made it clear that it will never permit Iran, which does not recognise the right of the Jewish state to exist, to become a nuclear power.
Diplomats and analysts say Israel would prefer diplomacy to war and a coalition if military action were needed against Iran, but is ready to act alone if needed.
In June the Pentagon said it was considering the sale to Israel of 500 BLU-109 bombs, designed to destroy reinforced targets, as part of a munitions package meant "to contribute significantly to US strategic and tactical objectives".
Israeli security sources said the sale would go through, and one told Reuters: "This is not the sort of ordnance needed for the Palestinian front. Bunker-busters could serve Israel against Iran, or possibly Syria." - (Reuters)