Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who is head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Agency and also vice president of Iran, also detailed opportunities for foreign firms to take part in his country's nuclear programme, which his government says is aimed only at the peaceful generation of energy.

"Iran has chosen the political path and will push ahead with its nuclear activities in all circumstances," he said in a statement carried by the student news agency ISNA.

He was replying to a question about plans by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to refer Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear activities, which the United States believes are aimed at developing a weapon.

Aghazadeh also gave details of the role to be played by foreign companies in his country's uranium enrichment programme. The Iranian government recently said it would open up the sector to foreign firms.

The atomic agency chief told ISNA that foreign firms could take stakes in an enrichment programme in the town of Natanz for a sum of up to 350 million dollars (300 million euros), out of a total of one billion dollars for the whole programme.

The Natanz site, in the centre of Iran, "spreads over 1,400 hectaresacres) and can contain up to 60,000 centrifuges," he said, referring to a key device needed to refine uranium.

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