Iran will press on with enriching uranium to 20 per cent purity until its nuclear fuel needs are met but not refine the material to this level “forever,” the country’s atomic chief said today.

“We are not intending to convert all our uranium to 20 percent enriched uranium. We will go as far as our needs are met,” Ali Akbar Salehi told reporters in the southern port of Bushehr after Iran began loading fuel into its first nuclear power plant.

The long-delayed Bushehr plant is built by Russia, which is also supplying it with fuel for 10 years.

“We have no intention to proceed forever with enriching 20 per cent uranium,” Salehi said, while noting that Iran has a “right” to the process as a member of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Enrichment is at the centre of fears about Iran’s nuclear programme which the West suspects is masking a weapons drive despite Tehran’s vehement denial.

Iran has been slapped with four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for its refusal to halt the enrichment work.

In February, Iran stepped up its uranium enrichment level to 20 per cent -still much lower than the around 90 per cent bomb grade but a significant development from its under-five-percent purification.

The expanded enrichment work was met with international concern but Tehran said it needed to make fuel for an ageing research reactor.