Diplomats: Iran's enrichment program stagnates

[August 25, 2009]  VIENNA (AP) -- Diplomats say Iran's output of enriched uranium has stagnated for months, even though Tehran has continued to install machines that carry out the process.

The diplomats tell The Associated Press that could indicate that Iran is running out of the material it needs to enrich -- a process that can produce both nuclear fuel and the fissile core of nuclear warheads.

Iran is under three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to freeze its uranium enrichment programs. These were imposed out of fears that Iran is using the pretext of building a peaceful nuclear program to eventually make weapons-grade enriched uranium.

The diplomats spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential.

[Associated Press; By GEORGE JAHN]

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