Iran amasses 1,359kg low-enriched uranium: IAEA

VIENNA (AFP) - The UN atomic watchdog has not made any progress in its probe into the alleged illicit nuclear
activities in Iran and Syria, a senior official close to the agency said Friday.
On Iran, there has been very little progress, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. And for Syria,
its the same thing.
Iran was still defying the UN Security Council and has so far amassed 1,339 kilograms of low-enriched uranium
hexafluoride (UF6), the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a restricted report, a copy of which was
obtained by AFP.
Estimates vary, but analysts calculate that anywhere between 1,000-1,700 kilograms of low-enriched uranium
would be needed to convert it into highly-enriched uranium suitable to make a single atomic bomb.
Iran has estimated, that between November 18, 2008 and May 31, 2009 ... a total 500 kilograms of
low-enriched UF6 was produced at its enrichment plant in Natanz, the IAEA said. Prior to that, Iran had already
amassed 839 kilos of low-enriched UF6.
In all, more than 7,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges were installed at Natanz, up from over 5,000 at the time of
the IAEAs last report in February, the watchdog said.
The UN Security Council has ordered Iran to suspend all enrichment related activities, until the IAEA has been
able to verify the exact nature of Tehrans controversial nuclear programme. Western powers fear that Iran wants
to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists it merely aims to produce civilian N-energy.
In a separate report on Syria, the IAEA said its inspectors found uranium particles at a research reactor near
Damascus that would not normally be expected there and had asked Syria to explain how they got there.
Inspectors had found anthropogenic natural uranium particles in environmental samples taken in 2008 from the
hot cells of the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor (MNSR) facility in Damascus, the report said.
It was not the type of uranium that would normally be expected to be found at this kind of reactor, a senior official
close to the IAEA said on condition of anonymity.
Syria had responded to the agencys request for an explanation concerning the presence and origin of the
anthropogenic natural uranium particles found at the MNSR, the report said.
In a letter to Syria dated June 5, 2009, the agency followed up on Syrias explanation, it added.