Nation to Extract Its Own Uranium in 2006

Iran will begin extracting uranium from deep under its central desert in 2006, an official told Associated Press during a tour of the nation's Saghand uranium mine, 300 miles south of Tehran.

Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, despite U.S. charges that it seeks nuclear weapons. Tehran is seeking to control the whole nuclear fuel cycle, from mining uranium ore to enriching uranium to be used in reactors.

"We will be able to extract uranium ore in the first half of 2006.... More than 77% of the work has been accomplished," said Ghasem Soleimani, director of mining operations at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.