BALLISTIC missiles could be Israel’s weapon of choice against Iranian nuclear facilities if it decides on a pre-emptive attack and deems air strikes too risky, according to a report by a Washington think-tank.

Iran has produced nuclear fuel pellets for its 40-megawatt heavy water nuclear reactor, Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh said today, a technological advancement in the cycle of nuclear fuel, according to the state news agency.

Iran has detained two Chinese nationals on charges of spying on its military and nuclear facilities, a government spokesman said today.

A delegation from the UN’s nuclear watchdog arrived in Tehran today to discuss future inspections of Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

UN inspectors visited a nuclear reactor today being built in central Iran that has been off-limits since April, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

UN nuclear inspectors banned earlier this year by Iran from visiting a heavy water reactor will now be allowed to inspect it before the end of July, the International Atomic Energy Agency said today.

Iran today announced plans to build two more nuclear power plants despite international pressures to curb its controversial nuclear programme.

THE UN nuclear agency’s 35-nation board yesterday denied Iran technical help in building a plutonium-producing reactor, but left room for Tehran to resubmit its request.

Most participants at a key 35-nation meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog agency have agreed to deny Iran technical aid for its plutonium producing reactor, diplomats at the gathering said today.

Iran and EU negotiators have apparently salvaged a deal committing Tehran to freezing all parts of a programme that can make nuclear-weapons grade uranium, diplomats said tonight.

Iran’s top nuclear official said today that his country would announce in the coming days whether it would resume uranium enrichment activities that had been questioned by the UN nuclear watchdog.