Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Tehran will enrich its own uranium to a level of 20% for its research reactor.
"We have asked them [Western countries] for 20% enriched uranium. They could have supplied it in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency, but did not," Ahmadinejad was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying.
He said Iran no longer needed anybody's help.
"With God's help, Iran will be producing its own 20%-enriched uranium," he said.
The president said on Tuesday that the recently announced plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities in Iran were not a "bluff" and Tehran would go ahead with the program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) censured Iran for withholding information on its controversial nuclear program in a resolution last week. It also urged Iran to freeze construction of its newly revealed uranium enrichment facility in Qom.
Iran's government instructed the country's nuclear organization on Sunday to start building five new plants and outline locations for another five within two months. The facilities will be similar to the existing facility in Natanz. The Iranian leader has set a goal to produce about 250-300 metric tons of nuclear fuel annually.
The Iranian president added that his country had no plans to report to the IAEA on its nuclear projects.
MOSCOW, December 2 (RIA Novosti)
