Iran claims key nuclear milestone reached
Pastor Dale Morgan
Iran claims key nuclear milestone reached*
By Natalie Paris and agencies
Last Updated: 2:49pm BST 02/09/2007
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has claimed that his country is
now running 3,000 centrifuges to enrich uranium for its controversial
nuclear programme.
Iran claims key nuclear milestone reached
Iran's goal for Natanz is for 54,000 centrifuges
The announcement came just days after the UN nuclear watchdog put the
number lower, at close to 2,000.
Iran had said it aimed to have that many centrifuges by the end of July.
The International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) issued a report on
Thursday saying the Iranian enrichment program had slowed and the
country was cooperating with its nuclear investigation,
It was thought that the report could fend off calls for a third round of
sanctions against Iran, but any such slowing down has today been denied.
"The West thought the Iranian nation would give in after just a
resolution, but now we have taken another step in the nuclear progress
and launched more than 3,000 centrifuge machines, installing a new
cascade every week," Ahmadinejad said to a group of students in remarks
carried by the state television.
Western experts say 3,000 centrifuges operating non-stop and without
glitches for long periods could make enough material for one bomb in
about a year, if that was Iran's goal.
Iran previously announced the operation of 3,000 centrifuges back in
April, but the IAEA said at the time that Iran had only 328 centrifuges
operating at its underground Natanz enrichment facility in central Iran.
In its latest report, the organization put the number of centrifuges
enriching uranium in Natanz at close to 2,000 with another 650 being tested.
It is thought that the rate of expansion is much slower than a few
months ago however, when Tehran was assembling close to 200 centrifuges
every two weeks.
"Recent reports by the UN nuclear watchdog agree with Iran's approach
and the dispute over Iran's nuclear case has ended," Ahmadinejad said,
praising the latest IAEA report which had noted an increased willingness
by the Iranians to answer questions after years of stonewalling.
Two sets of sanctions have already been slapped on Iran for its failure
to heed a UN demand to halt enrichment activity.
The United States, leading efforts to isolate Iran, has said Tehran
faces a third if it does not stop the work.
Iran's ultimate stated goal for the Natanz facility, the only site now
open to full IAEA monitoring, is to run 54,000 centrifuges — enough for
dozens of nuclear weapons a year.