Iran says nuclear activities at new plant under IAEA watch

TEHRAN - Agence France-Presse

In this Sept. 26, 2009 file satellite image provided by GeoEye shows a facility under construction inside a mountain located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north northeast of Qom, Iran. AP Photo

Iran's nuclear activities including at a new uranium enrichment plant, Fordo, are under the surveillance of the UN atomic agency, Iran's envoy to the watchdog said Monday, Arabic broadcaster Al-Alam reported.

"All nuclear activities, notably uranium enrichment at Natanz and Fordo, are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Al Asghar Soltanieh was quoted as saying from Vienna, where the International Atomic Energy Agency is based.

His remark followed a report by Iran's Mehr news agency on Sunday that quoted the head of Iran's nuclear programme, Fereydoun Abbasi, saying Fordo, located near the city of Qom, would begin operations "soon." "The facility in Qom will be inaugurated soon and will have the capacity to produce uranium enriched to 20 percent, 3.5 percent and 4.0 percent."