国际英语新闻：IAEA: Iran has slowed its uranium enrichment program

VIENNA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran has slowed its uranium enrichment program, said Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) when submitting the report on Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

    According to media here, this report said that only 164 gas centrifuges which are able to produce low-enriched uranium have been newly installed at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment center since last December, which is slower than the past.

    However, this report also pointed out that although the UN Security Council has implemented sanctions on Iran, Iran still refused to fulfill UN's requirement of stopping its uranium enrichment activity.

    Iran's uranium enrichment program is questioned by many parties. Western countries like the United States claim that Iran intends to secretly develop nuclear weapons, while the UN Security Council also requires Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activity.

    However, Iran insists that its nuclear plan is only for peaceful purposes, and continues its uranium enrichment activity despite the pressure from the western countries and relevant resolutions and sanctions of the United Nations.