Iran�s permanent ambassador to the International Organizations in Vienna said that the Islamic Republic has initiated the development of new fuel for the Tehran reactor.







Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks on Wednesday, noting that research and development activities have been initiated to design an improved type of fuel for the Tehran research reactor.

�This activity is carried out in three stages, and in the first stage, metal uranium is produced using natural uranium,� he said, adding that the Director-General of the IAEA published a report on Wednesday and informed the member countries about the matter.

�This measure will technically place Iran among the leading countries in the production of new fuels,� he maintained.

Gharibabadi went on to say that all these steps have been notified to the Agency and the IAEA's inspectors have also visited the fuel plate factory three days ago.

The Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi announced�on January 5th�that currently IR1centrifuges are utilized to produce 20 % enriched uranium, adding that Iran has the capacity to use IR4, IR2M, and IR6 centrifuges as well.

He further said that Iran has 4 tons of uranium with a richness of 3.5 to 4 percent and the Atomic Energy Organization is scheduled to produce up to 10 tons of uranium in one year, noting that the Islamic Republic is capable of enriching uranium up to 40 or 60 percent.