Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran needs to significantly increase its uranium enrichment abilities to meet its long-term nuclear energy goals.
Khamenei’s remarks on July 8 -- which came in a posting on his official website -- underline divisions between Tehran and world powers at talks in Vienna that are aimed at reaching a permanent nuclear accord by July 20.
The so-called P5+1 – the United States, Russia, France, Germany, China, and Britain – wants Tehran to reduce its enrichment capacity so that it can’t quickly produce the highly enriched uranium needed to build nuclear weapons.
Khamenei said on July 8 that the P5+1 wants Tehran to accept a capacity of 10,000 separative work units, or SWU -- a measurement of the effort needed for the separation of isotopes of uranium.
Khamenei says Iran needs 190,000 SWU to fuel a planned network of nuclear power plants.
In separate comments, Khamenei also accused the United States and Israel of playing "good cop, bad cop" to intimidate his country into making concessions.
A decisive final round of negotiations on Iran's nuclear program began on July 3 in Vienna ahead of a July 20 deadline.
Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and Radio Farda
