News reports say Iran has begun enriching a new batch of uranium, defying major powers as an August United Nations deadline comes closer.
News agencies and The Washington Post are reporting that Iran has begun to enrich a small batch of uranium. The agencies and the newspaper are quoting anonymous diplomatic sources.
The agencies say Iran's newest nuclear activities will be disclosed in a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency to be released later this week.
The United Nations Security Council is demanding that Iran cease enriching uranium by Thursday.
Iranian officials say Iran has the right to enrich uranium.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the U.N. Security Council has no right to act against Iran.
But a U.S. State Department spokesman said he expects sanctions if Iran fails to meet the deadline.
The West accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
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