Ahmadinejad signs uranium enrichment law

Iran's president on Monday signed a bill to continue uranium enrichment, and limiting cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog, state news agency IRNA reported.

The law on Safeguarding the Islamic Republic of Iran's Peaceful Nuclear Achievements signed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for continued enrichment of uranium to 20 percent level, IRNA reported.

Under the new law the government is "obliged to continue its efforts to produce fuel for the Tehran research reactor as well as continue the 20 percent enrichment (of uranium)... and to produce the fuel plates required for the reactor."

The law also stipulates that the government "cooperate with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) only under the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty's (NPT) general regulations."

It bans any cooperation that goes beyond the NPT requirements, the English language Press TV said on its website.

Iran says it is enriching uranium to 20 percent level to manufacture fuel for the Tehran reactor which makes medical isotopes. Top Iranian officials say Tehran will stop the sensitive work if it gets fuel from world powers.

Western countries want Iran to stop the 20 percent enrichment work as they suspect it brings it theoretically closer to the 90 percent level required to make an atom bomb.

Tehran says its entire atomic programme is purely civilian in nature.

The United Nations, the United States, the European Union, Australia and Canada have imposed sanctions on Iran for pursuing the enrichment programme.

IRNA said the new law also empowers the government to "invest in different fields of peaceful nuclear technology... (to achieve) full nuclear independence."

It also says that the government "must retaliate under any circumstances against countries which opt to inspect Iranian ships or their cargo" in high seas as stipulated by the new UN sanctions on June 9.

Under the latest UN sanctions member states can carry out high sea inspections of Iranian ships suspected of carrying equipment and material for nuclear use.