Iran Likely to Restart Enrichment

Iran said Saturday that it was likely to resume activities related to uranium enrichment within a week, a process it had halted last year to build confidence in talks with European countries and avoid referral to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.

Tehran’s announcement came a day after talks in London with European negotiators yielded no results. France, Britain and Germany, acting on behalf of the 25-nation European Union, are seeking guarantees from Iran that it will not use its nuclear program to make weapons, as Washington suspects.

Top Iranian nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani said Tehran expected to restart enrichment activities at a facility in Isfahan.

“It’s unlikely that uranium enrichment ... which takes place in Natanz, will be resumed, but it’s likely that some activities at Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility will restart next week,” Rowhani said, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Natanz and Isfahan house the heart of Iran’s nuclear program. The Isfahan conversion facility reprocesses uranium ore concentrate into gas, which is then taken to Natanz to be enriched. The Europeans want Iran to permanently abandon enrichment, a process that can produce nuclear reactor fuel and, at a higher level, material for bombs.