Iran is preparing large amounts of uranium for enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons, days before its promise to freeze all such activities takes effect, Western diplomats said today.
"The Iranians are producing UF6 (uranium hexafluoride) like hell," a non-US diplomat on the governing board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. "The machines are running."
Iran denied the information, which was confirmed by multiple diplomatic sources in Vienna.
"This is a sheer lie. I strongly reject it. In contrary, Iran is preparing itself to suspend production of UF6," Iran's top IAEA delegate Hossein Mousavian said in Tehran.
The apparent hasty production of large amounts of enriched uranium is bound to deepen suspicions over Iran, which Washington says is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
UF6 is the form of uranium that is fed into gas centrifuges, which purify uranium for use as fuel in nuclear power plants or weapons, by spinning at supersonic speeds. Iran had promised the European Union it would freeze enrichment and all related activities as of November 22.
Another diplomat described it as shocking news and said the IAEA's 35-member board of governors would have to seriously consider whether to report Tehran to the Security Council for possible sanctions.
"It is a grave matter that will have serious repercussions when we begin our (IAEA board) meeting on Thursday," a diplomat from another board state said.