Iran announced plans today to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants in a major expansion of its atomic programme, just two days after the UN nuclear watchdog rebuked it for carrying out such work in secret.
The defiant move by hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government will further aggravate tensions between the Islamic Republic and major powers over Iranian nuclear activities, and may accelerate calls for more UN sanctions against Tehran.
The United States and its allies suspect Iran's atomic programme is aimed at building a nuclear bomb. Iran denies this, saying it only wants to generate electricity.
The White House condemned the announcement.
"If true, this would be yet another serious violation of Iran's clear obligations under multiple UN Security Council resolutions and another example of Iran choosing to isolate itself," spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
"Time is running out for Iran to address the international community's growing concerns about its nuclear programme."
Israel, assumed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, has hinted at the possibility of attacking Iranian facilities if it deems diplomacy at a dead end. Washington has publicly opposed the idea of Israeli pre-emptive strikes.
The new enrichment facilities would be on the same scale as Iran's main enrichment complex at Natanz and work on the plants would begin within two months, state broadcaster IRIB said.
Iran's atomic energy organisation chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said they would be built so that they would be protected from any military attack, for example in the "hearts of mountains".
Mr Ahmadinejad said Iran should aim to produce 250-300 tonnes of nuclear fuel a year and that new, faster centrifuges should be used to reach that target. He did not give a time frame.
"We have a friendly approach towards the world but at the same time we won't let anyone harm even one iota of the Iranian nation's rights," he said.
IRIB said the location of five of the 10 new plants had already been decided and that work on these should start within two months. At the same time, the Atomic Energy Organisation should find suitable locations for the other five.
It did not say when the plants would be completed.
Reuters