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Iran shuns demand to abandon nuke reactor
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-14 09:09
Iran rejected a European demand to stop building a heavy-water nuclear
reactor that provides a simpler way of extracting weapons-grade fuel, and it
warned the United States on Sunday "not to play with fire" by repeatedly
threatening Tehran.
Iran has indicated previously it will keep its heavy-water reactor, but
Sunday's announcement that it will not replace it with a light-water reactor was
the clearest statement yet of its nuclear plans and represented a hardening of
its position.
A heavy water facility in Arak, Iran is seen in this June
2004 satellite
image.[Reuters/file] | Both plants in question can be used to enrich uranium, a critical part in
nuclear programs, but the extraction of weapons-grade material from a
light-water reactor is more difficult. Uranium enriched to low grades is used
for fuel in nuclear reactors, but further enrichment makes it suitable for
atomic bombs.
The statement underscored the unresolved differences between Iranian and
European negotiators, who are continuing their talks over Iran's nuclear program
even as the United States escalates its criticism of Iran.
Earlier this month, US President Bush accused Iran in his State of the Union
speech of being "the world's primary state sponsor of terror" and pursuing
nuclear weapons. Although Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said a
military strike against Iran was "simply not on the agenda at this point," Bush
has said his administration would not rule out any option.
On Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi reiterated previous
statements by top officials that Iran would not tolerate any acts of aggression,
particularly from the United States.
"Rice and other U.S. officials are aware of Iran's capabilities." Asefi told
reporters at a news briefing. "During the talks with the Europeans, we told them
in clear terms to tell their American allies not to play with fire, and the
Europeans clearly got our message."
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami last week warned that Iran would turn into
a "scorching hell" for any possible attackers.
Iran, according to experts, is believed to be at least four years away from
finishing construction of the heavy-water reactor near Arak, in central Iran.
Those reactors use natural uranium rather than the enriched form, which is
costlier and more complicated to produce.
Asefi rejected a proposal by European negotiators to stop building the
40-megawatt Arak reactor in return for a light-water reactor — from which the
extraction of weapons-grade material is difficult.
"We welcome the European offer ... but this won't replace the heavy-water
research reactor at all. That will continue. We will pursue that," he said.
Iran's top leaders have been adamant in recent days that Iran will not scrap
its nuclear program, suspected by Washington as a program to produce a nuclear
bomb.
Asefi said Iran had long and intensive talks — "early steps forward" — with
Europeans this week. He said Europe should step up its efforts to justify
continuing the negotiations.
"During the talks, we tried to make it open that the nuclear fuel cycle has
economic justification and that we will continue our activities in this field,"
Asefi said.
Asefi also said Iran plans to become a major nuclear fuel supplier, part of a
program that Iran says is for peaceful domestic energy purposes but Washington
says is aimed at producing an atomic bomb.
"We intend to turn into an important and a major player in the nuclear fuel
supply market in the next 15 years because there will be (an) energy shortage in
the future," Asefi said.
Separately, The Washington Post reported Sunday that the United States has
been flying unmanned surveillance drones over Iran since last year to look for
evidence of nuclear weapons programs and to probe the country's air defenses.
Asefi did not comment on the report, saying, "It's the job of the
intelligence and security services to comment on this."
Iran suspended uranium enrichment and all related activities in November,
hoping to build trust and avoid U.N. Security Council sanctions. The
International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, is monitoring the
suspension.
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