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Iran took another step Monday that will keep it high on the map of global nuclear trouble spots by announcing plans to begin processing its uranium stockpile to higher levels of enrichment.

Iran鈥檚 intentions, announced in a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nation鈥檚 nuclear watchdog, sounded alarm bells among nuclear-energy experts and international leaders working to curtail Iran鈥檚 nuclear program because they represent another step in the direction of producing a nuclear bomb.

鈥淭his is worrying because it鈥檚 another small step up the escalation ladder,鈥� says Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association in Washington. 鈥淲hat we have to keep in perspective is that Iran is still a number of years and a lot of technical expertise away from building a nuclear weapon,鈥� he adds. 鈥淏ut what鈥檚 disconcerting is that they keep chipping away at those limitations.鈥�

Iran said in its letter to the IAEA that it plans to begin processing at least part of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to 20 percent enrichment, a level considered 鈥渉igh-enriched鈥� uranium and on the way to the 90-percent enrichment required for a nuclear weapon.

Iran says it needs the high-enriched uranium for a research reactor in Tehran to deliver isotopes for medical uses, and blamed the international community for leaving it no alternative by failing to reach an agreement for providing the nuclear fuel it needs.

But several countries, including the United States, that thought they had a deal with Iran last October for providing the fuel say this latest step only raises additional suspicions about Iran鈥檚 direction.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, in Paris for meetings with French officials, said the international community has no alternative but the 鈥減ressure track鈥� for influencing Iran鈥檚 decision-making 鈥� a reference to the Obama administration鈥檚 efforts to obtain UN Security Council approval of a fourth round of economic sanctions against Iran.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also said Monday that Iran鈥檚 latest actions constitute 鈥渞eal blackmail,鈥� despite what he said are his doubts that Iran has the technical ability to achieve the level of uranium enrichment it speaks of in its IAEA letter.

Mr. Kouchner noted that all major powers except China are now on board the sanctions effort. Russia has recently indicated its support for additional sanctions targeting the economic interests behind Iran鈥檚 nuclear program. And on Monday a prominent member of Russia鈥檚 parliament and specialist in Russian foreign policy, Konstantin Kosachyov, said the international community should 鈥渟wiftly react鈥� to Iran鈥檚 latest plans.

Iran鈥檚 latest announcement is the latest in a string of conflicting signals to the international community. Last week Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was ready to accept a deal with world powers to export a large quantity of Iran鈥檚 uranium stockpile for eventual reprocessing into fuel for the Tehran research reactor. Then on Sunday he gave the first hint of the enrichment plan announced today in the letter to the IAEA.

Iran鈥檚 intention to reprocess an undisclosed portion of its low-enriched uranium to 20-percent enrichment causes new concerns but also calls for a dose of caution, nuclear experts say.

In the 鈥渃oncerns鈥� column:

鈥� If Iran does arrive at 20-percent enrichment on its own, the time and number of spinning centrifuges required to get to 90-percent enrichment 鈥� the level needed for a nuclear weapon 鈥� is less.

鈥� Other sources exist for the fuel Iran supposedly needs to operate its research reactor, thus raising suspicions about Iran鈥檚 stated reason for enriching on its own.

鈥淭he ostensible reason they are giving for this step is a problem because they simply don鈥檛 need an industrial-scale operation to deliver the fuel鈥� for the Tehran research reactor, Mr. Kimball says.

And in the 鈥渃autions鈥� column:

鈥� Iran has said that it will allow the IAEA inspectors to stay. That means that the international community should be immediately aware of any further increases in the enrichment process.

鈥� Iran still faces technical hurdles before it is capable of building and delivering a nuclear weapon, nuclear experts say.

鈥� Iran is still 鈥測ears鈥� away from possessing a nuclear weapon, Dennis Blair, the director of national intelligence, told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week.

鈥淲hat that means is that there鈥檚 still time for a diplomatic solution to this,鈥� Kimball says. 鈥淭he problem is that right now the Iranians aren鈥檛 acting too interested.鈥�

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