Paris--The United States and France on Monday said it was time to impose new sanctions on Iran after Tehran announced plans for a major expansion of its nuclear programme. Iran said it would soon start producing higher-grade nuclear fuel and add 10 uranium enrichment plants over the next year, raising the stakes in its long-running stand-off with Western powers over its atomic plans. Iran also said it has told the UN nuclear agency it will start enriching uranium to higher levels, shrugging off international fears that such a move will bring it closer to being able to make nuclear warheads. Western powers condemned the moves, which Germany said was a sign that Iran is not cooperating with the international community which wants the fuel to be upgraded abroad. A top Russian lawmaker called Tehran's move "a sure step backward" and said new sanctions should be discussed — a step Moscow has previously opposed.
