Germany Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed "deep concern" Wednesday at Iran's announcement that it was expanding its nuclear activities. ( dpa )
" Tehran is clearly acting against the will of the United Nations security Council," he said. "Such a move will only make a solution to the problem more difficult."
The foreign minister urged the Iranian leadership to pay heed to the concerns of the international community and halt the process of uranium enrichment, which some in the West fear is geared towards making a bomb.
Showing cooperation would help restore lost confidence and pave the way for fresh negotiations, he added.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had started installing 6,000 new centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz and would soon have 9,000 in operation.