Iran is demanding that it be allowed to operate dozens of centrifuges, although doing so would be banned under a freeze of uranium enrichment activities it recently agreed to, diplomats said Thursday.  

The Iranians have told the International Atomic Energy Agency -- the UN nuclear watchdog -- that they want to operate about 24 of the centrifuges "for research purposes," the diplomats said.

They have asked the IAEA to exempt that equipment from agency seals meant to ensure the enrichment program -- which can be used to make nuclear weapons -- is completely at a standstill, one of the diplomats said.

The move comes on the eve of an IAEA board meeting that will examine Iran's compliance to international demands meant to reduce suspicions about its nuclear activities. Among them are calls for a suspension of all enrichment and related activities -- something Iran agreed to earlier this month in a deal with European negotiators.

(Chinadaily.com.cn via agencies, November 25, 2004)