Iran threatens to expand uranium enrichment if nuclear swap deal falls through

Iran threatened Tuesday that if additional countries do not agree on a swap deal work out with France and Brazil last year, it would enlarge its own production of nuclear fuel the swap would see Iran's supply of 20 percent, or low-enriched, uranium exchange for nuclear fuel rods from France the medium enriched rods are to be used to fuel a Tehran medical reactor.

"We will not only continue to do the enrichment by ourselves but also build a factory for developed even the fuel rods by ourselves," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Mehmanparast additional that Iran could halt its 20 percent enrichment if the swap was approved.

"As the 20 percent enrichment process is not even economical for us, we would be willing to halt this process and get the essential fuel for the Tehran reactor from abroad," the spokesman said however, if a swap is not made, Iran would have no choice but to carry on producing fuel for the Tehran reactor, which Iran has said is used solely for medical purposes, such as treat cancer patients.