Iran vows to increase uranium enrichment

Iran today told the UN nuclear agency that it will start enriching uranium to higher levels, shrugging off international fears that such a move will bring it closer to being able to make nuclear warheads.

Iranian envoy Ali Asghar Soltanieh sought to dispel such concerns, saying that the uranium to be enriched to 20% would be used only to make fuel for Tehran's research reactor, which is expected to use up its present stock within a year.