Iran announces it is mining uranium of eve of nuclear talks
Top news: On the eve of a new round of talks with six world powers in Geneva, Iran announced that it has processed its first batch of locally mined uranium. The announcement makes clear that Iran has no intention of giving up its uranium enrichment program, a key demand of western powers who believe it is planning to produce a nuclear weapon.
The uranium ore was produced at a mine in Southern Iran and delivered to a conversion facility in Isfahan. Iran's nuclear chief Ali Selhi told the state-run media that "our nuclear activities will proceed and they will witness greater achievements in the future."
A spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council said that the announcement had been expected and that Iran does not have enough uranium for a large-scale civilian nuclear energy program.
The talks between the P5+1 and Iran kicked off in Geneva this morning, the first negotiations in more than a year. Expectations for the talks, even before the latest announcement, were low as Iran will only discuss nuclear issues in the context of global disarmament. Negotiators say an agreement to meet for further substantive talks next year would be considered a sign of progress.
The talks are further clouded by last week's killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist in Tehran, which the Iranian government has blamed on Western intelligence services.
WikiLeaks: Supporters have set up hundreds of mirror sites of WikiLeaks' website. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is reportedly seeking refuge in Switzerland.
For the latest on the cables, check out Foreign Policy's new blog WikiLeaked.
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HMIDREZA NIKOMARAM/AFP/Getty Images
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