Iran is playing down a UN report that said Iranian nuclear scientists had enriched uranium to a higher-than-expected level.
Iran's envoy to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said on May 26 that the traces of enriched uranium which were found were a "technical issue."
The IAEA said on May 25 that it had found at a site in Iran that had traces of uranium enriched to levels slightly higher than the 20-percent enrichment declared by Tehran.
But it said the enrichment could have been the result of a technical error.
Soltanieh accused Western media of blowing the issue out of proportion for political reasons.
Western powers suspect Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
Iran denies the charge.
Twenty-percent enriched uranium is needed for nuclear fuel. Uranium enriched to 90 percent is used for nuclear weapons.
Iran's envoy to the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said on May 26 that the traces of enriched uranium which were found were a "technical issue."
The IAEA said on May 25 that it had found at a site in Iran that had traces of uranium enriched to levels slightly higher than the 20-percent enrichment declared by Tehran.
But it said the enrichment could have been the result of a technical error.
Soltanieh accused Western media of blowing the issue out of proportion for political reasons.
Western powers suspect Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
Iran denies the charge.
Twenty-percent enriched uranium is needed for nuclear fuel. Uranium enriched to 90 percent is used for nuclear weapons.
