Wire: Surprise, Iran Has Second Nuke Plant

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2009 -- Newswire services this morning reported that Iran has revealed the existence of a secret uranium-enrichment plant, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday, a development that, The Associated Press noted, could heighten fears about Tehran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon and escalate its diplomatic confrontation with the West.

President Barack Obama and the leaders of France and Britain plan to accuse Iran of hiding the facility in an address at the opening of the G-20 economic summit Friday, a senior White House official told AP.

Iran is under three sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to freeze enrichment at what had been its single known enrichment plant, which is being monitored by the IAEA.

Two officials told AP that Iran revealed the existence of the second plant in a letter sent Monday to IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.

See links below for details.

(Report from newswire sources.)

Sources:
Officials tell AP Iran has second enrichment plant
Iran Reveals Existence of Second Uranium Enrichment Plant