THE United States yesterday expressed grave concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Branded by the US as a member of the “axis of evil” with Iraq and North Korea, the Iranians yesterday revealed plans to enrich uranium, ostensibly for their nascent nuclear energy programme.

Iran says that the programme is to provide power for its 65 million people, but Washington has accused Tehran and neighbouring Iraq of harbouring secret plans to develop nuclear weapons.

Richard Boucher, the Bush Administration’s chief foreign policy spokesman, said: “We continue to have very grave concerns that Iran is using its supposedly peaceful nuclear programme, including construction of the reactor at Bushehr, as a pretext for advancing a nuclear weapons programme.”

He accused Tehran of laying bare its true intent to make weapons by admitting that it had mined uranium even though its agreement with Russia, which is building the Bushehr reactor, would have provided it with all the fuel that it needed. “Iran’s ambitious and costly pursuit of a complete nuclear fuel cycle only makes sense if it is in support of a nuclear weapons programme,” he told a news briefing.

Mr Boucher made clear that Russia had provided assurances to the US about its nuclear construction project in Iran, which Washington opposed. “The agreement as we understood it, as we heard it from others, had been that Russia would provide the fuel and take it back after it was used in the reactor,” he said.

He joined calls by the European Union and United Nations for Iran to sign a tough inspection protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose chief, Mohamed Elbaradei, is trying to get Iraq to come clean about its alleged weapons but who will visit Tehran on February 25.

“We hope the Iranians will co-operate with Dr Elbaradei and we will continue to work with other governments on this matter,” Mr Boucher said.

President Khatami of Iran addressed the nation on television at the weekend, surrounded by officials from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology. He said that Iran had uncovered reserves of uranium and would now strive to become self-sufficient in developing nuclear fuel.

“Iran has discovered reserves and extracted uranium,” he said. “We are determined to use nuclear technology for civilian purposes. If we need to produce electricity from our nuclear power plants, we need to complete the circle from discovering uranium to managing remaining spent fuel.”

His comments were confirmed by the head of Iran’s atomic energy programme. “Preliminary steps have taken place,” Gholamreza Aqazadeh said, “but we still have a long way to go before this plant is operational.”

Analysts say that Mr Khatami’s comments were for an international audience to pre-empt any action on the part of America. “I think they realise that the US knows everything about their nuclear programme,” Sayeed Leylas, a political commentator, said. “It was very wise diplomacy . . . meant to dissolve tension in the region.”

Diplomats in Tehran say that it was no coincidence that Mr Khatami’s announcement came less than 48 hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister had visited to Downing Street and just days after Chris Patten, the EU External Affairs Commissioner, had returned from Iran. On both occasions it was made clear to the Iranians that unless the country spoke openly of its nuclear ambitions, the US would soon turn its sights on Tehran.

Although Iran is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has yet to sign the protocol that allows more extensive monitoring and requires more openness on nuclear-related activities.

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