TEHRAN: Iran's nuclear chief said Wednesday his country has produced 17 kg of uranium enriched to 20 percent, defying UN demands to halt the controversial program.
The 20 percent level, needed to produce fuel for a medical research reactor, is far below the more than 90 percent required to build a nuclear weapon, but US officials have expressed concern Iran may be moving closer to the ability to reach weapons-grade level.
The United States and its allies accuse Iran of seeking to acquire atomic weapons. Tehran denies the charge, saying its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity.
Iran has been producing the 20 percent enriched material since February. The new figure of 17 kg — about 37 pounds — was announced by Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads Iran's nuclear program. That is up from 5 kg (11 pounds) Iran announced in April that it had produced so far.
“Potentially, we can produce 5 kg (11 pounds) a month but we are not in a hurry over this,” Salehi said, according to the semiofficial ISNA news agency.
The UN Security Council approved a resolution two weeks ago strengthening sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program and calling on individual countries and blocs of nations to expand their own sanctions regimes on Iranian individuals and organizations.
