Iran denies nuke activity at base

Iran, accused by the US of trying to build an atomic bomb, on Thursday dismissed new allegations that it was carrying out sensitive, undeclared nuclear activities at a military base. Diplomats at the UN nuclear watchdog in Vienna said UN inspectors had found components that could be used in advanced centrifuges for extracting enriched uranium, which can be used as nuclear fuel or to make an atomic bomb.

8216;8216;Iran8217;s nuclear activities are entirely peaceful and Iran has not had and nor does it have military nuclear activities,8217;8217; Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said in a statement faxed to Reuters.

At issue is whether Iran made omissions in what it says was a full declaration of its nuclear technology to the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA in Vienna in October.

The USA Today daily reported that the parts had been found at a military base called Doshan Tapeh. Diplomats said the parts were compatible with the P2 Uranium-enrichment centrifuge, a Pakistani version of the advanced Western G2 design. But Asefi said: 8216;8216;In none of Iran8217;s military centres is a nuclear programme being pursued and P2 centrifuges do not exist in such centres.8217;8217; There was no comment from the IAEA.