Iran dismisses US concerns about nuclear material

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TEHRAN, Mar 2 (AP): Iran dismissed Monday US concerns about how much fissile material the country has produced, saying it isn't developing a nuclear bomb and that any effort to make weapons-grade uranium would be difficult under the eyes of international inspectors.

The comments came a day after the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said Iran has sufficient fissile material for a nuclear weapon and warned of a dire outcome if Tehran moves forward with building a bomb.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran has processed 2,222 pounds (1,010 kilograms) of low-enriched uranium. But the report left unclear whether Iran is now capable, even if it wanted, of further enriching that material to the much higher degree needed to build a warhead.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi told reporters in Tehran, "We have said many times that a nuclear weapon has no place in Iran's defense doctrine."

Qashqavi did not comment specifically on the amount of fissile material Iran has produced. But he implied that even if Iran wanted to produce weapons-grade uranium, it would be difficult since the country's enrichment facility is being monitored by the IAEA.

"How is it possible for uranium enriched three to four per cent to be enriched up to 90 per cent while under IAEA monitoring?" he said.

Iran says its nuclear program aims only to generate electricity and has been producing uranium that is less than five per cent enriched in line with fuel needs of modern reactors. Nuclear weapons use uranium that is enriched to about 90 per cent.

The US and many of its allies suspect Iran's real aim is to develop a programme that would allow it to produce nuclear weapons and fear it will take the next step to further process its enriched uranium. International inspectors have not said Iran has taken that step.