Iran has begun uranium enrichment – Rafsanjani

Iran Focus: London, Apr. 11 – Iran has began uranium enrichment, former Iranian President Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani announced on Tuesday, despite a call by the United Nations Security Council for it to cease all uranium enrichment activities. Iran Focus

London, Apr. 11 – Iran has began uranium enrichment, former Iranian President Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani announced on Tuesday, despite a call by the United Nations Security Council for it to cease all uranium enrichment activities.

“We operated the first unit which comprises of 164 centrifuges, gas was injected, and we got the industrial output”, Rafsanjani, who currently chairs the State Expediency Council (SEC), told the Kuwaiti news agency in Tehran.

“There needs to be expansion of operation if we are to have a complete industrial unit; tens of units are required to set up a uranium enrichment plant”, he added.

Asked what outcome he expected from the upcoming visit of International Atomic Energy Agency director general Mohamed ElBaradei to Iran, Rafsanjani said that the UN nuclear watchdog chief would meet new circumstances. ElBaradei is set to travel to Iran on Wednesday.

The West believes Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program under the guise of atomic energy development.

The Security Council adopted a “Presidential Statement” unanimously on March 29 giving Iran 30 days to suspend all of its uranium enrichment activities and resume its cooperation with the IAEA.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Monday that the EU should consider sanctions against Tehran for refusing to heed the demands of the UN.