By DPA
Tehran : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Wednesday said the country’s uranium enrichment process on an industrial scale had started in March under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ahmadinejad told Fars news agency that enrichment started at the Natanz nuclear plant in central Iran under the control of the IAEA.
Ahmadinejad’s remarks came just before a report by the UN nuclear watchdog on outstanding technical issues in Iran’s controversial nuclear programme was due to be released at IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
Last week the Iranian leaders said Iran currently has 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz but did not clarify whether all were in operation.
The IAEA has said Iran has fewer than 2,000 centrifuges working at Natanz, with a further 650 installed but not yet operating.