U.N. inspectors have detected enriched uranium in environmental samples taken from Iran, Reuters reported today (see GSN, July 17).

The enrichment level of the uranium might indicate that Iran was attempting to make weapon-grade uranium, diplomats said.  Iran did not notify the International Atomic Energy Agency of its enrichment plans.

On its own, however, the discovery is not conclusive evidence that Tehran was enriching uranium, according to the diplomats.

“The results of environmental sample analyses are being reviewed at the agency, and we expect to take more samples over the next few weeks,” IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

“Only the IAEA will be in a position to judge the significance of the analysis results.  At this point, we are still in the middle of a complex inspection process in Iran, in which we are investigating a number of unresolved issues,” she added (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, July 18).

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