Iran to continue uranium enrichment

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TEHRAN, May 27 (UPI) -- After negotiations with world powers made no progress, a top Iranian official said there is "no reason" to end the country's uranium enrichment program.

After two days of talks with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany, Iranian officials said they would continue to enrich uranium at 20 percent concentration, which can be used in nuclear weaponry.

Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said there is "no reason" not to continue enrichment. Abbasi added the International Atomic Energy Agency had failed to convince Iran to let officials inspect the Parachin military complex, a suspected nuclear development site.

"We have no nuclear site in Parachin," Abbasi said.

The announcement quashes earlier hopes that Iranian officials might have been more inclined to negotiate to avoid impending sanctions by the United States and the European Union, to go into effect July 1. A senior diplomat told the Financial Times the outlook is dim for the next session of talks to take place June 18 in Moscow.

Iranian newspaper Kayhan likened the negotiations to "playing in the enemy's court" and insisted it was "better not to attend the next meeting in Moscow or anywhere else."