IRAN OPENS NUCLEAR FUEL PLANT

Tehran, 27 Shawwal 1435/23 August 2014 (MINA) – Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s atomic energy agency announced Saturday,  that a factory in Esfahan, central Iran,  has enriched its production of uranium dioxide to a level of less than five percent and was opened and that is in keeping with an agreement between Tehran and world powers.

Its main use would be for the Bushehr nuclear reactor in southern Iran, Salehi said, quoted by state news agency IRNA, “Under the agreement with the P5+1 which came into effect in January, we are to transform a part of the enriched uranium to less than five percent oxide,” said Salehi.

The deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany — known as P5+1 — calls for a scaling back of Iran’s controversial nuclear programme in return for a partial lifting of Western sanctions, Ahram Online quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The target date for a final deal has been put back to November 24.

By August 25, Tehran must also respond to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on decade-old allegations of past nuclear weapons research.

Tehran denies it wants nuclear weapons, insisting it is pursuing atomic energy purely for peaceful purposes.

While some differences have been reconciled, disagreements remain over how much uranium Iran would be allowed to enrich and on the lifting of international economic sanctions.

A new round of talks between Tehran and the P5+1 is expected before the UN General Assembly starts on September 16. (T/P001/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)