Iran said Monday its deal with European nations to stop uranium enrichment is a temporary one.
"The main issue of suspension is introduction of gas which is suspended but we believe the suspension cannot last for ever," Hoseyn Musavian, an Iranian spokesman at the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters.
The comments come ahead of a meeting of the IAEA board to decide if Iran violated treaty obligations and illegally pursued a nuclear weapons program. The meeting will decide whether to refer the case to the U.N. Security Council.
Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes only though the United States insists the Islamic republic is making weapons. Uranium enrichment can be used for both peaceful and weapons purposes.
The Iranian official did not give a time frame for when Tehran would resume the activity.
© Copyright 2004 by United Press International
