Catherine Philip, of the UK's Times Online reports on Iranian reaction to President Barack  Obama's (D) offer of an open hand of friendship, the past Nobel Peace Prize recipient, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s censure, Russia's, China's and others' demands that they cease construction on its secret nuclear sites and...

Iran defies world with plan for ten new nuclear sites

Iran has announced plans to build ten new uranium enrichment plants in a gesture of defiance to the West.

The escalation of its nuclear programme was unveiled today, two days after world powers ordered Iran to halt construction of a plant near Qom and to adhere immediately to five United Nations resolutions demanding it stop uranium enrichment.

The censure from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with rare backing from Russia and China, provoked anger in Iran where members of parliament demanded the withdrawal of co-operation with UN inspectors.

President Ahmadinejad announced tonight that his Cabinet had ordered the building of ten new plants aimed at producing up to 300 tonnes of nuclear fuel a year, with construction to begin on five within two months.

Maybe if they would have said pretty please, apologized to Iran a few more times and condemned the US and Israel more often, Iran would have toned down its hostility. Then again. . .