Iran Puts Brakes On Nuclear Expansion Under Rouhani, Iaea Report Shows

[Ron Burgundy]

By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - Since Hassan Rouhani became president, Iran has halted a rapid expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity, a U.N. inspection report showed on Thursday, in a potential boost for diplomacy to end Tehran's nuclear dispute with the West. Iran stopped increasing its capacity to refine uranium - which can fuel nuclear power plants but also bombs if processed much more - "when their team changed" in August, a senior diplomat said, referring to Rouhani and his administration. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - who strongly opposes any deal with Iran short of dismantling its enrichment program - said he was "not impressed". Israel, believed to be the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed power, has long warned it could use force to prevent Iran from gaining an atomic bomb.

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