Two UN inspectors have arrived in Iran to visit its uranium enrichment plant, the authorities said today as Western governments and experts expressed dismay and scepticism over Iran’s announcement that it is now enriching uranium in industrial quantities.

Iran said today that it was prepared to start “industrial-scale” enrichment of uranium, expanding a key nuclear process that the United Nations has demanded it halt.

Iran’s leadership was today furious over Russia’s refusal to ship fuel for its first nuclear power plant, signalling a possible break in a long-time alliance that has helped protect Tehran from tough UN sanctions.

Iran’s foreign minister today denied the claim of the UN nuclear chief that his country had temporarily slowed its nuclear programme.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today launched anniversary celebrations for Iran’s Islamic Revolution with a defiant promise to push ahead with the country’s controversial nuclear programme.

Iran says it needs time to review a plan proposed by the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency in which it will hold off on imposing sanctions if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment.

An Iranian nuclear agency chief has denied claims made by a top governor that the Islamic republic had begun installing 3,000 centrifuges at an uranium enrichment plant, it was reported today.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana today reacted cautiously to a proposal from a senior Iranian nuclear official that France enrich Iran’s uranium on Iranian soil to satisfy international demands for foreign supervision of the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.

Iran’s vice president said today the decision to send Iran’s case to the UN Security Council has no legal justification.

Iran broke UN seals on its nuclear enrichment facility, pledging only to conduct research, but the international nuclear watchdog said Tehran also planned small-scale enrichment of uranium – a process that can produce fuel for nuclear weapons.

US President George Bush today warned that “all options are on the table” if Iran refuses to comply with international demands to halt its nuclear programme.

IRAN said yesterday that nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei would visit Tehran for talks on Thursday, just two weeks before a deadline for Iran to dispel US-led doubts about its nuclear ambitions expires.

IRAN is “studying positively” a UN agency request to allow unfettered inspections of its nuclear facilities.