Iran resumes enrichment of uranium
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-14 18:35

The talks with Russia, which had been slated for Thursday, were postponed because of the "new situation," Iranian presidential spokesman Gholamhossein Elham said, referring to the IAEA's reporting Iran to the U.N. Security Council.

However a Russian news agency reported Tuesday that Iran asked Russia for only a four-day delay, until Feb. 20. RIA-Novosti quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin as saying that Tehran had requested the delay for "technical reasons."

Iran maintains its nuclear program is designed solely to generate electricity. But the United States and some U.S. allies, including Israel, claim the program is a cover for producing a nuclear bomb.

China urged the meetings with Russia take place as planned.

"China expresses its concern over the current development of the Iran nuclear issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular briefing.

He said, "China hopes that the talks between Russia and Iran can be held on schedule and achieve positive results."

Germany expressed disappointment that the Iranian-Russian talks had been postponed as the European powers had seen the Russian plan as a solution to the dispute over Iranian enrichment. Germany, Britain and France have been negotiating with Iran, but have failed to persuade it to abandon enrichment.