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| Iran needs more nuclear enrichment capacity - Khamenei | Iran needs more nuclear enrichment capacity - Khamenei |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran could eventually need tens of thousands of centrifuges for its nuclear programme. | Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran could eventually need tens of thousands of centrifuges for its nuclear programme. |
| Within five years, he said, Iran would need far more than the 10,000 that world powers wanted to limit it to. | |
| Nuclear negotiations are continuing between Iran and the P5+1 group, with a deadline of 20 July for an agreement. | Nuclear negotiations are continuing between Iran and the P5+1 group, with a deadline of 20 July for an agreement. |
| But France's foreign minister has hinted at growing differences between the Western countries in the talks. | |
| Laurent Fabius said the P5+1 group - the US, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany - had previously been "very homogeneous" in their dealings with Iran. | |
| But "in recent days representatives in the negotiations have put forward a certain number of different approaches", he told a parliamentary committee in Paris on Monday. | |
| He did not explain the differences but he did say that France "would like the unity of the 5+1 to be preserved". | |
| World powers suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Iran strongly denies. Iran insists it is enriching uranium to fuel power plants and for medical needs, and wants international sanctions to end. | World powers suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons - a charge Iran strongly denies. Iran insists it is enriching uranium to fuel power plants and for medical needs, and wants international sanctions to end. |
| Iran nuclear deal - timeline | Iran nuclear deal - timeline |
| Last month, Mr Fabius said that Iran must restrict its number of centrifuges to just a few hundred. | |
| Negotiators from the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany (P5+1) in Vienna want Iran to scale back enrichment to ensure the uranium cannot be used in weapons. | |
| In his comments on Tuesday, Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed strong support for Iran's negotiating team in Vienna, a boost to moderate President Rouhani, who has been accused by hardliners of giving to much ground on the nuclear issue. | |
| Both sides are hoping to build on an interim deal agreed in Geneva in November that saw Iran curb enrichment in return for sanctions relief. | Both sides are hoping to build on an interim deal agreed in Geneva in November that saw Iran curb enrichment in return for sanctions relief. |
| But progress since the Geneva deal has been slow, with the last round of talks in May proving unfruitful. | But progress since the Geneva deal has been slow, with the last round of talks in May proving unfruitful. |
| Mr Fabius said "none of the main issues" had been resolved. | |
| Differences remain over how much uranium enrichment capacity Iran should be allowed to keep, as well as other issues. | Differences remain over how much uranium enrichment capacity Iran should be allowed to keep, as well as other issues. |
| Iranian officials have suggested that the deadline could be extended for another six months to allow negotiations to continue. | Iranian officials have suggested that the deadline could be extended for another six months to allow negotiations to continue. |