Iran won’t stop uranium enrichment program

AP: Iran’s nuclear chief Fereidoun Abbasi says his country won’t stop uranium enrichment activities the U.N. has demanded it halt.

The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s nuclear chief Fereidoun Abbasi says his country won’t stop uranium enrichment activities the U.N. has demanded it halt.

Iran says it needs the material for a medical research reactor, and that the level of enrichment — nearly 20 percent — is far below the more than 90 percent needed to build a nuclear weapon. But U.S. officials have expressed concern Iran is taking steps toward greater enrichment.

Iran denies claims by the U.S. and its allies it seeks to build a nuclear weapon.

The official IRNA news agency on Monday quoted Abbasi as saying that Iran will continue to enrich uranium to 3.5 percent in its main uranium enrichment plant in Natanz but will carry out 20 percent enrichment activities at its underground Fordo site.