Russia casts doubt on Iranian ability to enrich uranium

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Friday October 27, 2006

Moscow - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov on Friday expressed doubts over Iran's ability in the short-term to enrich uranium to nuclear-weapons-grade level. He did not share the West's concerns in this respect, Ivanov told Interfax news agency.

Any talk of Iran being in a position to produce weapons-grade uranium was, at the least, premature, he said.

The defence minister was speaking after reports Friday that a new centrifuge cascade installed two weeks ago had gone into service and that uranium hexaflouride (UF6) gas had already been injected for enrichment.

The centrifuge cascade are completely under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Ivanov, assuring no uranium enrichment would take place.

Russia has made clear on several occasions that it does not want Iran to possess nuclear weapons. At the same time the Russian nuclear industry is working on Iran's first nuclear reactor at Bushehr.

The US has repeatedly called on Moscow to halt the project.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency