CAIRO, Sept 6, (Agencies): Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Sunday he was concerned about “new dangers” in the Gulf, in an apparent allusion to Iran, whose nuclear ambitions concern numerous Arab countries.
In a speech to mark the Night of Destiny during the holy month of Ramadan, Mubarak said “our celebration comes as our Arab and Muslim world faces difficult times.”
In addition to the problems in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia, Mubarak warned of “new dangers that are emerging in the Gulf region and threaten its stability.”
Western countries and Israel suspect Iran is using its civilian nuclear programme to hide efforts to develop a nuclear bomb, a prospect that also worries Arab nations.

Arab nations, such as Saudi Arabia, are also concerned about Shiite Iran’s support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
Egypt, which has been deeply involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, postponed last week a visit to Cairo by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki over comments criticising the role of some Arab leaders in facilitating the talks.
Ties between Tehran and Cairo have been severed since 1980 in the wake of the Islamic revolution in Iran and Egypt’s recognition of Israel.
Since then the two countries have only maintained interest sections in each other’s capitals.

Uranium
Iran had as of mid-August produced at least 22 kilogrammes (49 pounds) of higher-enriched uranium, which Tehran says is for a research reactor, according to a restricted UN report seen by AFP on Monday.
“Iran has estimated that, between February 9 2010 and August 20 2010 ... 22 kilogrammes or UF6 enriched up to 20 percent has been produced” at its pilot fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, the International Atomic Energy Agency report said.

Iran, which had previously been enriching uranium to levels of no more than 5.0 percent in Natanz, started enriching to close to 20 percent purification in early February, ostensibly to make fuel for a research reactor in Tehran.
The move was in defiance of UN sanctions and drew wide condemnation from western countries because it brings the Islamic republic closer to levels needed to make the fissile material for a nuclear bomb.
According to the new report, Iran had placed the material in a “cylinder with a capacity of about 25 kilogrammes (and) this material is under containment and surveillance.”
Iran says it needs the 20-percent enriched uranium for a research reactor that makes radioisotopes for medical purposes, but the West fears the material is ultimately intended for a nuclear weapon.
Despite four rounds of UN sanctions, Iran is continuing to enrich uranium at the plant in Natanz. According to the report, the stockpile of low-enriched uranium has now grown to a total 2,803 kilogrammes.

Hamper
Iran is hampering a long-running investigation into its controversial nuclear drive by vetoing the nomination of certain United Nations inspectors, the UN atomic watchdog said Monday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency also said that a number of its seals had been broken on equipment at Iran’s main uranium enrichment plant in Natanz.
In a new restricted report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, the IAEA complained that the “repeated objection by Iran to the designation of inspectors with experience in Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle and facilities hampers the inspection process.”
Under its safeguards agreement with the agency, Tehran is legally allowed to reject the IAEA’s list of designated inspectors.
However, by actually doing so, it “detracts from the agency’s capability to implement effective and efficient safeguards in Iran,” the report said.
Recently, the Islamic republic decided to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor Tehran’s nuclear activities after they reported undeclared nuclear experiments conducted by Tehran.
Vetoing certain inspectors “makes our work more difficult” because new inspectors need time to gain knowledge and experience of Iran’s nuclear programme, said a senior diplomat familiar with the IAEA’s Iran investigation.

“But it also adds to pressure on the inspectors. Some may feel unsure, they may fear being kicked out of the country” if the Iranians do not agree with their findings, the diplomat said.
Iran says it barred the two inspectors recently because their reporting was inaccurate. But the IAEA stands by their findings and said it had “full confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the inspectors concerned, as it has in all of its inspectors.”
The IAEA report also said it had asked Iran to explain “a number of incidents involving the breaking of seals by the operator of the FEP (fuel enrichment plant).”
Iran told the agency that the breakages were “accidental”.
A senior Russian government official said on Monday that the United States was hindering the resumption of talks with Iran on a fuel swap deal aimed at easing concern over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear ambitions.

The comments, made to a discussion group of Russia experts, appeared aimed at nudging Washington towards restarting stalled UN-backed talks to provide Iran with nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor.
“I am concerned by the fact that the United States slowed down the process,” the senior government official told the Valdai group of Russia experts when asked about the fuel deal.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Western powers suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a fear heightened by its move in February to start enriching uranium to a level of 20 percent from about 3.5 percent previously, taking it closer to weapons-grade thresholds.
But the Russian official said Western demands that Iran give up making low enriched uranium were futile and that major powers should instead focus on preventing Tehran getting fuel that could be used for a nuclear bomb.
“It is not realistic that Iran will give up the enrichment up to four percent,” the official said. “The international community should focus on preventing the further enrichment to 20 percent.”

No cooperation
The UN atomic watchdog said Monday it has been unable to make any progress in its two-year investigation into alleged illicit nuclear activities in Syria as Damascus is still refusing to cooperate.
In a restricted five-page report obtained by AFP, the International Atomic Energy Agency complained that Syria “has not cooperated with the agency since June 2008 in connection with the unresolved issues related to the Dair Alzour site and the other three locations allegedly functionally related to it.
“As a consequence, the agency has not been able to make progress towards resolving the outstanding issues related to those sites.”
The United States accuses Syria of building a covert nuclear reactor at the remote desert site of Dair Alzour with the help of North Korea until it was bombed by Israel in September 2007.
The IAEA has already said that the building bore some of the characteristics of a nuclear facility.
UN inspectors also detected “significant” traces of man-made uranium at that site, as yet unexplained by Damascus.

It has also requested access to three other locations allegedly functionally related to Dair Alzour, but so far to no avail.
Time was pressing, the new report said on Monday.
“With the passage of time, some of the necessary information concerning the Dair Alzour site is further deteriorating or has been lost entirely. After two years of investigations constrained by Syria’s lack of cooperation, it is critical that Syria positively engage with the agency on these issues without further delay.”
The report is scheduled to be discussed at a meeting of the IAEA’s 35-member board of governors at a meeting next week.