Jerusalem, September 26: ISRAEL said the disclosure of a second nuclear enrichment facility in Iran proved the country was seeking nuclear weapons and demanded an “unequivocal” Western response.
“The revelations of this second nuclear enrichment site in Iran prove beyond any doubt that this country wants to equip itself with nuclear weapons,” Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told public radio.
“We hope that an unequivocal answer is given on October 1,” he added, referring to next week’s meeting between Iran and six major world powers involved in negotiating over the the nuclear dispute.
“We are not surprised by the recent revelations, because we have been saying that Iran is developing its nuclear activities for military purposes, and the facts prove it now,” Mr Lieberman said.
“Without wasting time, we must work towards the overthrow of the mad regime of Tehran,” he added.
Israel, the region’s sole if undeclared nuclear-armed state, has long accused Iran of pursuing atomic weapons under the guise of a peaceful energy programme, charges denied by Tehran.
Mr Lieberman’s remarks came a day after US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded that Iran allow nuclear inspectors into the second secret site.
Russia, meanwhile, appeared to moving toward supporting new sanctions and China said it had taken note of the information and had urged Iran to cooperate with any probe by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The Western leaders made it clear that they did not believe the site had a civilian role, with one US official saying it was “the right size” to produce weapons-grade uranium but of no use for nuclear fuel production.
Iran has adamantly insisted its nuclear program is designed to generate energy and help in medical research, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the plant was “perfectly legal”.
The head of Tehran’s nuclear program, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the mystery second plant had been built to ensure Iran could continue to refine uranium even the the event of foreign air raids on its other sites.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States had been holding intelligence information on the secret plant for “some time” and believes it houses 3000 centrifuge machines.
But he added the plant would not be operational for at least a few months.
The IAEA earlier said Iran had sent a letter on September 21 to inform the watchdog that a new pilot fuel enrichment plant is under construction in the country.
The revelation came just days before the October 1 meeting, where representatives from the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China are to hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
—Agencies