Iran expanding uranium enrichment activities: IAEA.

VIENNA, Feb. 24 Kyodo

Iran has expanded uranium enrichment activities at an underground facility in the central part of the country, a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Friday.

In the report, Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iran has set up about 700 centrifuges at the country's second uranium enrichment facility located in Fordo.

Iran produced about 13.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to the level of about 20 percent at the facility, the report said, citing Iranian officials.

In January, Tehran said it would start operating the Fordo facility, drawing speculations that it may be bombed by Israel, which suspects that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

Talks between the nuclear agency's high-level inspection team and Tehran have ended without progress. The team could not visit key facilities nor could it interview people who could possibly offer clues to solving the suspicions, according to diplomatic sources.