The U.N. nuclear watchdog said Friday that Iran is defying a U.N. Security Council ban on uranium enrichment and accusing the U.S. and its allies of fabricating information to back up claims that Tehran is making nuclear weapons, reported AP.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there was a ’’very strong case’’ for moving forward with a third round of sanctions against Tehran, while Iran said the report’s findings confirmed that its nuclear program is a peaceful one.
’’There is very good reason after this report to proceed to the third Security Council resolution,’’ Rice said, adding that the report ’’demonstrates that whatever the Iranians may be doing to try to clean up some elements of the past, it is inadequate.’’
The 11-page report obtained by The Associated Press said Iran ’’has not suspended its enrichment-related activities,’’ despite two sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions over fears the program might be used to make weapons-grade uranium instead of the nuclear fuel Iran says it is interested in.
Instead, said the report, Iran ’’started the development of new-generation centrifuges’’ — an expansion of enrichment — and continued working on heavy water nuclear facilities. When finished, Iran could cull them for plutonium, a possible fissile payload in nuclear warheads.
But the American U.N. ambassador said Friday that report should pave the way for passage next week of a new U.N. Security Council resolution tightening sanctions on Tehran.
’’They’re increasing their capabilities,’’ U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said. ’’Not only have the number of centrifuges increased, but they’re working on a second-generation, if you like, a more capable centrifuge.
’’Things are getting worse in terms of the enrichment part.’’
A senior IAEA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report was confidential, said that if the material provided by the U.S. and other agency members on the alleged activities was genuine, most of Iran’s work was ’’most likely for nuclear weapons.’’