Iran says to produce own nuclear reactor fuel in 2011

ILNA: Iran is to produce nuclear fuel for a research reactor by September 2011, its atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated on Tuesday as Tehran defiantly presses on with higher level uranium enrichment.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says the actual fuel for the Tehran research reactor will be produced next year.

The virtual fuel with 20 percent enrichment for the reactor has previously been produced, IRNA quoted Salehi as saying on Tuesday.

"Production of the 20 percent enriched fuel was a firm response to the West. Iran currently possesses a large workshop of 20 percent fuel," the Iranian vice president said.

The Iranian top nuclear official said the Islamic Republic, in an earlier letter to the IAEA, has called on the agency to supply radioisotopes needed to treat one million people suffering from cancer and refractory diseases.

He added the IAEA announced that one or two countries have expressed readiness to give 20 percent fuel to Iran in exchange for the country’s 3.5 percent enriched uranium.

Salehi pointed to foreign media propaganda against Iran and said, "The IAEA report which confirmed the production of 20 percent fuel in Iran was a response to such lies." Continued…

Detained US Nationals to Stand Trial in Iran in February  

Fars News Agency- The three US nationals arrested by Iranian security forces in July 2009 after crossing Iran-Iraq borders illegally are scheduled to go on trial for espionage charges, their lawyer announced

"I have received an official notification to appear in court on the 17 Bahman (February 6) to represent my three clients, Sarah (Shourd), Josh (Fattal) and Shane (Bauer)," lawyer Masoud Shafii told the Iranian labours news agency on Monday. 
 Joshua Felix Fattal, 27, along with Shane Michael Bauer, 27, and Sarah Emily Shourd, 31 were arrested in the western Iranian district of Marivan, at the Malakh-Khur border point on July 31, 2009 for crossing Iran’s borders with Iraq illegally. They were later charged with espionage. 
 Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had earlier said that the three young Americans had "suspicious intentions" in crossing the border and would stand trial in the country.
 In August, Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi announced that investigation into the case of the three US nationals was close to completion, and that Tehran would announce the results as soon as the probe is completed.

In September, Iran released Sara Shourd on bail and she flew out of Iran on September 14.
 Following the release of Shourd, Ahmadinejad called for the release of the eight Iranians held captive in the US, pointing to Iran’s humanitarian gesture in releasing Shourd.
 Earlier this month, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Expatriates’ Affairs Hassan Qashqavi criticized the US for violating the rights of the Iranian nationals due to its feud with Tehran, saying that the US has jailed 65 Iranian nationals mostly on void and baseless charges.
 Qashqavi pointed out that a number of these Iranians are in US prisons because they have exported some goods to Iran which Americans claim have a dual-use.
 He described such accusations as unacceptable and political, and said they are not consistent with the international law and regulations.
 The deputy foreign minister said such a rationale for arresting the other countries’ citizens merely serves as an excuse, because any commodity can be considered as having a dual use and if such a rationale is put into effect, then anybody willing to export anything to Iran should be arrested by the US.

Iran to produce nuclear reactor fuel in 2011

Times- Iran is to produce nuclear fuel for a research reactor by September 2011, its atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated as Tehran defiantly presses on with higher level uranium enrichment

"By the month of Shahrivar next year (September 2011), we will produce fuel for the reactor," Salehi said, quoted by the state IRNA news agency.

In February, Iran started refining uranium to 20 percent after a deadlock in a nuclear fuel swap deal drafted by the UN atomic watchdog and aimed at providing fuel for the Tehran medical research reactor.

Iran has already said that by next September it will domestically produce the required fuel and the actual fuel plates to power the reactor, but Western powers say it does not possess the technology to make nuclear fuel plates.

The Islamic republic is under four sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, the process at the centre of fears about Iran’s atomic work.

Enriched uranium can be used as fuel to power nuclear reactors as well as to make the fissile core of an atom bomb. Tehran has repeatedly denied Western accusations that it is working to produce a nuclear bomb.

Iran and a group of six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- are to hold talks on Tehran’s overall nuclear programme in December.

Salehi said on Tuesday that Iran would make an announcement on its progress in the nuclear field "two to three weeks" after the meeting with world powers, Mehr news agency reported.

He did not elaborate.

Gambia severs all ties with Iran after arms seizure

Reuters- Gambia announced on Monday it was severing all ties with Iran, a move which sources close to Banjul’s foreign ministry said followed the seizure of arms from Iran believed to be bound for the West African state.
Nigeria’s secret service intercepted the haul of rockets and other explosives in Lagos last month and said shipping documents appeared to show that the weapons had been due for re-export to Gambia.
Nigeria reported the seizure to the U.N. Security Council, where diplomats have said Tehran could be in breach of sanctions imposed over its refusal to halt nuclear activities.
Nigeria’s secret service was able to question one of the men, who had taken refuge in the Iranian embassy in Nigeria’s capital Abuja. But it has been unable to question a second Iranian in the embassy because he has diplomatic immunity.

Iran, Algeria sign cooperation deals

ISNA-Iran and Algeria signed 11 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) as Prime Minister of the African country Ahmed Ouyahia wrapped up his trip to Iran.   "All government of the Gambia projects and programmes, which were (being) implemented in cooperation with the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran have been cancelled," the Gambian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It added that Iranian government personnel had 48 hours to leave the country. While it gave no official reason for the move, sources close to the ministry said it was linked to the arms shipment seizure. Investigations have focused on two Iranians believed to be senior members of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite military force, diplomatic and security sources say.   

The two sides vowed to deepen cooperation on judiciary, trade, agriculture, health, education, research and investment.

Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi and Ahmed Ouyahia also signed document of the first joint high committee meeting which seeks expansion of economic ties.

Also Rahimi in a joint press conference with Ouyahia, said, "Iran’s economy does not rely on economy of countries suffering global economic downturn. We not only have not hit by the turmoil, but it prompted us to stand on our feet."

Algerian Prime Minister also met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad where Ahmadinejad said, "independent countries’ progress in closely related to their exclusion from circle of hegemonic system’s domination."

Ouyahia on his part said, "European and western countries had better lay aside military thought and stand by nations peacefully and brotherly."

Algerian diplomat also met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani, where Larijani said world powers’ politics towards Iran’s nuclear issue is a modern bullying approach which prevents countries from progress.