国际英语新闻：Iran to maintain high-grade uranium enrichment, build more plants

The Russian Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom) said Friday that the launch of the Bushehr plant in Iran has been set for Aug. 21.

Iran is building other nuclear power plants, and has plans to build more in the future or the Russian side will be given the right do so for Iran, Boroujerdi said, arguing that Tehran still needs to provide fuel for the power plant projects.

Boroujerdi's remarks came in response to earlier statements by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that Russia will supply fuel to Iran's Bushehr plant which makes Tehran not in need of producing nuclear fuel.

"Hillary Clinton is not aware that supply of fuel by Russia to Bushehr plant has nothing to do with the national enrichment program," he said.

Boroujerdi also rejected White House spokesman Robert Gibbs' remarks that by using Russian fuel for the Bushehr power plant, Iran will be no longer in need of the enrichment operations.

On Friday, Gibbs said "Russia is providing the fuel and taking the fuel back out," which means that Iran does not need its own enrichment program.

The international community worries Tehran may obtain the uranium fuel needed for nuclear weapons by the same process to purify uranium, while Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purpose and argues that as a signatory to the NPT, it has the right to the use of peaceful nuclear technology.