Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis
TEHRAN, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- A senior Iranian nuclear
official said on Saturday that his country has produced its own nuclear fuel
pellets for its heavy water research reactor in Arak, the official IRNA news
agency reported.
"Fuel pellets to be used for the 40-megawatt research
reactor in Arak (in central Iran) have been produced," Gholamreza Aghazadeh,
head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted as saying.
The Fuel Manufacturing Plant (FMP) in Isfahan,
central Iran, would be able to provide fuel for the Arak research reactor in the
first half of next Iranian year (from March 21 to Sept 22, 2008), Aghazadeh, who
is also Iran's vice president, told IRNA.
Iranian experts were testing the fuel pellets and the
fuel rods produced at its nuclear fuel production facilities in Isfahan, the
Iranian official said.
Iran has long been working on its uranium enrichment
capability to fuel its developing nuclear power program, including the
40-megawatt heavy water nuclear reactor under construction in Arak.
The United States and some other Western countries
fear Iran may try to develop atomic bombs under a civilian cover, however Tehran
insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
The UN Security Council has already issued two
sanction resolutions against Iran's nuclear program since last December, but
both of them failed to persuade the Islamic Republic to give up uranium
enrichment work.
Iran's navy to carry out military
maneuvers in Feb.
TEHRAN, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's navy commander said on Saturday that his
forces will launch military maneuvers in Hormuz Strait and Gulf of Oman in
February to exercise their naval capabilities, the official IRNA news agency
reported.
Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari told reporters that the military exercises,
code named, "Ettehad 86," or "Unity 86," will continue for a week. Full story
Elbaradei calls on Iran to suspend
nuclear activities
VIENNA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Mohamed Elbaradei, general
secretary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) urged Iran again here
Thursday to suspend its nuclear activities in order to help the Iran's nuclear
issues to be solved as soon as possible.
Elbaradei's new report on Iran's nuclear issues was the
main topic for discussion of the ongoing IAEA's 35-nation board of governors
conference, which is held on Nov. 22 and 23 and focus on the Korean Peninsula
nuclear issues and Iran's nuclear issues. Full story
Iran warns "domino effect" in Mideast
if Tehran's security threatened
TEHRAN, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Iran's chief nuclear
negotiator on Thursday warned the Western countries not to threaten his country,
saying it would have "domino effect" in the Mideast region.
"World powers are now aware of Iran's effective role
global security, playing with Iran's security would have domino effect," head of
the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Saeed Jalili, told reporters on
the sidelines of an international seminar on Iran 's nuclear program which
started here earlier in the day. Full story
