Iran says building 10 new enrichment sites "not bluff"

TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi said Monday that building 10 new nuclear enrichment sites by his country is "not bluff", the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

"They need to wait and see in the future that what we said was not bluff," Rahimi told reporters, referring to reports by western media that suppose the construction of 10 new nuclear enrichment plants in Iran is a bluff.

"We need to get prepared for the reactors that produce nuclear fuel," he was quoted as saying.

Asked about the future relations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said, "We need to step forward a little then to decide."

On Sunday, Iran's government ordered the Atomic Energy Organization to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites in the country, the state IRIB TV reported.

Under a government decree, the Atomic Energy Organization will start the construction of five new uranium enrichment sites and will present its proposal for the locations of five others within two months, the report said.

Western powers suspect Iran of attempting to build nuclear weapons, but Tehran said its nuclear program was aimed at generating nuclear energy for civilian purposes.