Iran began enriching uranium to a higher level Tuesday over the vociferous objections of the US and its allies who fear the process could eventually be used to give the Islamic republic nuclear weapons. Even before the announcement US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he believed the UN should slap new sanctions on Iran in “weeks, not months,” according to his spokesman Tuesday. Iranian state television said that the process began in the presence of inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog agency. Uranium has to be enriched to fuel nuclear power plants and Iran needs the 20 percent enriched fuel for a research reactor producing medical isotopes. Enriching uranium to 90 percent, however, creates the material for nuclear weapons, which many countries are afraid Iran is seeking. Iran denies the charge. Ali Akbar Salehi, a vice president as well as the head of the country's nuclear program, said the further enrichment would be unnecessary if the West found a way to provide Iran with the needed fuel. “Whenever they provide the fuel, we will halt production of 20 percent,” he told state TV late Monday. Iran has so far enriched uranium to a level of 3.5 percent, which is suitable for use in fueling nuclear power plants. On Tuesday, the spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast said any plan by the West to impose new Security Council resolutions would not be helpful. “If they attempt another resolution, they are making a mistake. It is not helpful in resolving the nuclear dispute between Iran and the West,” he said. Protesters try to storm embassies Dozens of members of Iran's religious Basij militia tried to attack Italy's embassy in Tehran Tuesday, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said. He said similar incidents had occurred at the French and Dutch embassies in Tehran. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said hard-line students protested outside the French and Italian embassies, but there were no reports of violence or attempts by the students to attack the embassies.
