Iran Vows to Resume Uranium Enrichment

Agence France-Presse, from correspondents in Tehran:

Iran's top nuclear negotiator today warned that the Islamic republic intends to resume uranium enrichment and its current suspension of the controversial process will not last long. "The length of the suspension will not be very long and will be valid for the duration of the negotiations and only on the condition that the negotiations make progress," Hassan Rowhani told the Hamshahri newspaper in an interview.

"In the future we will most certainly resume enrichment, but as for how long the suspension will last is going to depend on many factors."...

Asked if Iran would resume enriching uranium before the end of President Mohammad Khatami's mandate next August, Mr Rowhani replied: "Negotiations should end before this date. But if they do not end we cannot wait until then." ...

At a meeting in Geneva this month, the EU3 told Iran that nothing short of "full cessation and dismantling of Iran's fuel cycle efforts" would provide the guarantees needed to prove the peaceful nature of the nuclear program. ...

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