Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered his country's atomic agency to start the production of higher enriched uranium. He said in remarks aired Sunday on state television: "God willing, 20 percent enrichment will start" to meet Iran's needs. He did not give a date for the start of the enrichment process.
Speaking at a meeting attended by the head of Iran's atomic energy agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, Ahmadinejad stated: "Mr. Salehi, begin production of 20 percent" enriched uranium.
"We had told them (the West) to come and have a swap, although we could produce the 20 percent enriched fuel ourselves," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying. "We gave them two-to-three months' time for such a deal. They started a new game and now I (ask) Dr Salehi to start work on the production of 20 percent fuel using centrifuges," he said.
But he added: "The doors for interaction are still open." Ahmadinejad also said Iran had the capability to enrich uranium using laser technology, without elaborating.
