Enrichment, Bushehr work on, Iran says

TEHRAN, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Uranium enrichment in Iran is continuing despite claims by the International Atomic Energy Agency, an Iranian envoy said Thursday from Tehran.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA, dismissed reports that his country had halted its uranium enrichment program.

"In spite of attempts and provocations … by some top intelligence officials of one of the Western countries, the nuclear activities of Iran are successfully going on without any interruption under the IAEA (supervision) for peaceful purposes," he told state-funded broadcaster Press TV.

His comments came amid Western diplomatic claims a possible computer worm called Stuxnet had temporarily halted uranium enrichment at the Natanz nuclear plant.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported while IAEA diplomats in Vienna claimed they had no specific details explaining what caused the plant to shut down, it appeared the worm was the cause.

Soltanieh said the report was nothing more than "speculation by Western diplomats."

Meanwhile, Russian contractor Atomstroiexport said Iranian engineers had finished loading fuel into the core of Iran's nuclear power plant in Bushehr.

Tehran said the reactor will be able to generate 1,000 megawatts of electricity within the next six to nine months.

Western allies believe Iran's enrichment activity is cover for a nuclear weapons program, something Tehran denies.