Iran Plans 19 Nuke Plants

Iran has dismissed calls to drop uranium enrichment and plans 19 new nuclear power plants, Reuters reports. "US officials have talked of negotiations" on the condition that Iran stop the enrichment, "but we do not accept any preconditions for talks," Iran's Foreign Minister said today. The UN Security Council is debating another round of sanctions over Iran's refusal to stop the nuclear activity.

Iran will solicit international bids to build its 19 new plants “in the near future,” one parliament member said today. Iran experts have called on Washington to drop preconditions since US intelligence curbed nuke fears this month, but on Friday Condoleezza Rice said the intel report only proved the need for further pressure. (More Iran stories.)