New plant shows Iran's sustained defiance

BUILDING a second uranium enrichment plant is a sign of Iranian nuclear defiance, but disclosing its existence is also an attempt at transparency ahead of crucial talks next month, analysts say.

On Friday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that Tehran wrote to the agency on September 21 disclosing that it is building a new uranium enrichment facility.

The announcement came just days before a meeting in Geneva on October 1 between Iran and six world powers to discuss the Islamic republic's disputed atomic programme.

"Iran wants to be clear about its intentions as it goes into the meeting," said Amir Mohebian, Iranian journalist and independent analyst. "By declaring this new site, Iran is sending a clear message that enrichment will continue for its domestic peaceful needs."

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said on Friday the new plant is a "guarantee" that Tehran's nuclear work will continue. "Considering the threats (to the existing nuclear sites), our organisation decided to do what is necessary to preserve and continue our nuclear activities," he told state television.

"So we decided to build new installations which will guarantee the continuation of our nuclear activities which will never stop at any cost."

News of the second plant, which the New York Times reported is being built in a mountain near the holy city of Qom, triggered fresh anger among Western leaders who have threatened to impose new sanctions against Tehran.

The New York Times said that Iran revealed the existence of the plant only because US intelligence officials had found about it and were about to blow the whistle.

But Salehi said building the new plant was not a "secret," and analysts said announcing it is Tehran's attempt at transparency to the IAEA ahead of the Geneva meeting.

The six world powers — Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany and the United States — will meet Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili to discuss Iran's latest package of proposals aimed at allaying their concerns over its nuclear programme.

The world powers suspect Tehran is developing atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy programme, a charge vociferously denied by Iran.

Enrichment of uranium lies at the heart of Iran's nuclear controversy, as the process can be used to make an atomic bomb as well as producing fuel for nuclear reactors. Global powers want Iran to suspend the process, which Iranian officials have refused to do, calling it Tehran's "legitimate" right.

"Iran has no intention of stopping enrichment activities, and building the new plant is in line with this policy," said Mohammad Reza Mohammad Karimi, associate editor of the English-language Iran Daily newspaper.

"By announcing the existence of this plant, Iran goes into the meeting with the world powers with firmness, and with an intention of creating confidence" over its nuclear programme, he told AFP.

US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have threatened tough sanctions if Iran fails to open the new facility to IAEA inspection. "We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information and to report to the IAEA board of governors," Obama said, calling the new plant a "direct challenge" to international non-proliferation rules.

He said that in Geneva, Iran must be ready to cooperate fully with the IAEA or face further isolation. Salehi insisted on Friday that the new plant will conduct operations "within the rules of the IAEA."

Gholam Reza Ghalandarian, managing director of Quds newspaper and a conservative analyst, said the fact that Iran revealed the plant's existence to the IAEA indicates that "Tehran is ready to pursue its nuclear case within the IAEA framework but will never accept any preconditions."

Mohammad Karimi echoed this, saying that in Geneva a "firm" Iran "will maintain the same policy of saying that the Islamic republic is entitled to pursue a civilan nuclear plan and is not willing to give up that right."

AFP