Now of course we should take anything that Iran says with a grain of salt but with the last IAEA report saying that Iran had about 3500 centrifuges and given Iran’s refusal to halt or even slow the furious pursuit of their nuclear program, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they have reached the milestone of 6000 centrifuges.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president said Saturday his country now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, a significant increase in its nuclear program that is certain to further rankle the United States and others who fear Tehran is intent on developing weapons.
The new figure is double the 3,000 uranium-enriching machines Iran had previously said it was operating.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s announcement, reported by the semi-official Fars news agency, comes a week after the U.S. reversed course in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program by sending a top American diplomat to participate in talks between Tehran and world powers.
The bend in policy had prompted hopes for a compromise under which Iran would agree to temporarily stop expansion of enrichment activities. But the White House said Saturday’s development did not facilitate a resolution.
“Announcements like this, whatever the true number is, are not productive and will only serve to further isolate Iran from the international community,” said White House spokesman Carlton Carroll.
Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, declared in April that it was aiming to double the 3,000 centrifuges it was running in its underground uranium enrichment plant in Natanz.
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- Iran holds enough uranium for bomb
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