Iran Rejects U.S. Charges On Nuclear Program

U.S. officials have said new evidence suggested Iran had made significant progress in what they call its secret pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said today the allegations were another "fuss."

Asefi also confirmed Iran will not accept a compromise that involved sensitive uranium enrichment activities being conducted outside the country.

Earlier, the head of Russia's Security Council, Igor Ivanov, said the Russian-built reactor at the Bushehr facility in southern Iran is scheduled to come on line by the end of next year.

The UN nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, on 24 November is due to discuss whether to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions connected to its nuclear program.

(Reuters/dpa)