Atomic report
November 16, 2009
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has released its first report since visiting a nuclear facility in Iran that had not been disclosed to the agency until September.
The report says Iran plans to start enriching uranium at the site in 2011.
Many countries suspect Iran of planning to use the enriched uranium to create a nuclear weapon, but Iran insists its purposes are only electricity generation.
The nuclear site, located near the city of Qom, is the second of its kind in Iran. A second, much larger plant is located in Natanz.
Iran claims that the Qom plant is a backup for Natanz, but experts argue that Qom is too small to keep a power plant running. It could, however, be suited to building one to two nuclear weapons per year.
The IAEA said construction on the Qom facility began in 2002. When the site's existence was revealed in September, Iran was sharply criticized by the international community for keeping it secret.
By waiting, the IAEA says it raises questions about the existence of other secret plants.
"Iran's delay in submitting such information to the Agency does not contribute to the building of confidence," said the IAEA's report.
IAEA investigators visited the Qom facility three weeks ago. While they were given full access to the plant, the report says that Iran has yet to give satisfactory answers regarding the plant's purported civilian purpose.
mz/dpa/Reuters/AP
Editor: Kyle James