Iran's atomic chief Ali-Akbar Salehi announced on Wednesday the country has so far produced 30 kg of uranium enriched to the 20 per cent level, ISNA news agency reported. Iran began the 20 per cent enrichment process last February and, according to Salehi's claim, the country is capable of producing an average of 3.3 kg of 20 per cent enriched uranium per month.

Tehran started the 20 per cent enrichment process at the Natanz plant in the central part of the country after the collapse of a deal to exchange Iranian low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel from Russia and France for the Tehran medical reactor failed.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has several times noted that Iran would prefer to provide fuel for the Tehran reactor from foreign sources because enrichment at 20 per cent level was costly.

He also said that if the fuel swap was realised, Iran could stop the 20 per cent enrichment.

Salehi, who is also vice president, had claimed earlier this year that Iran would also be able to produce fuel rods for the Tehran medical reactor by March 2011, and then even begin construction of a new reactor to replace the over 40 years old reactor.