UN Nuclear Chief: Iran in Early Stages of Uranium Enrichment

The head of the U.N. nuclear agency says Iran is still in the early stages of creating a plant to enrich uranium. Mohamed ElBaradei says Iran is proceeding with its goal of installing 50,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear facility, but he says only hundreds have been installed to date.

He told reporters in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, that fears about Iran's nuclear program stem from what the enriched uranium would be used for, rather than Tehran's desire to carry out the process.

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency are now in Iran and intend to visit Natanz.

Earlier this week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said uranium is being enriched on an "industrial scale" at Natanz. The U.N. Security Council has demanded that Iran stop the process of uranium enrichment, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for the peaceful production of energy. - VOA News

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