Iran Will Not Stop Enriching Uranium to 20 Percent; Plans to Construct Two More Nuclear Reactors

Iran will not compromise on the West's demand to stop enriching uranium to 20 percent, said Fereydoon Abbasi Davani head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.

One of the crucial demands the western powers put forth is that Iran should restrict its uranium enrichment to 20 percent.

Iran made it clear that it is not going to compromise on this key issue.

We have no reason to cede on 20 percent, because we produce only as much of the 20 percent fuel as we need. No more, no less, Abbasi-Davani, was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency.

Iran has been claiming that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes and the country cannot sacrifice nuclear energy as the country is facing an energy crisis.

Western negotiators - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany -allege that Iran's ultimate agenda is building nuclear weapons.

Uranium that is enriched beyond 20 percent can be used in developing nuclear bombs and a recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there is evidence that Iran has enriched uranium up to 27 percent.

Reports also said that satellite images showed extensive activities at the Parchin complex, at the centre of Western suspicions that Iran is developing atom bombs, Reuters reported.

So far, Iran has denied IAEA investigators access to the Parchin complex, saying that the International watchdog had not given enough reasons for permitting such visits.

Certain countries are exerting pressure on the agency to inspect the site, but we have not been convinced yet with reasons provided by the agency to visit the site, Abbasi-Davani, was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency.

The six world powers, which negotiated with Iran on a nuclear deal, failed to convince Iran on halting their nuclear program. The negotiators will meet again in Moscow next month

Meanwhile, Iran reaffirmed that it will go ahead with its nuclear energy program and said that it plans to construct two nuclear plants, the construction of one of which, with a capacity to produce 1,000 megawatts of power, will begin in Bushehr Province in the next Iranian calendar year that starts on March 21, 2013, Mehr News reported.