Iran still unable to make weapons-grade uranium: Russian minister

Iran cannot produce weapons-grade uranium in the foreseeable future, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday.

Iran said earlier in the day it had fed gas into a second cascade of centrifuges at a uranium enrichment facility. The second cascade doubles Iran's uranium enrichment capability from the previous cascade of 164 centrifuges, according to the Iranian Student's News Agency.

"I don't share concerns on this account. It is premature to talk about Iran obtaining weapons-grade uranium," Ivanov told journalists, the Interfax news agency reported.

The centrifuges are working in a test mode and no uranium is being enriched, Ivanov said, adding that Iran's nuclear work should be fully controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations' nuclear watchdog.

An Iranian official said the IAEA had been informed that Tehran was injecting gas into new centrifuges and that nuclear inspectors had been in Iran.

The United States is seeking to impose sanctions on Iran through the UN Security Council on the grounds that Tehran is developing a nuclear weapons program under the garb of a civilian- use program.

Iran, however, says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. It has voiced hope for talks with Europe, Russia, China and the United States but ruled out suspending nuclear work as a prerequisite for such talks.

Source: Xinhua