Iran opens first nuclear fuel plant, says it has increased enrichment capacity
- |
TEHRAN - Iran inaugurated its first nuclear fuel manufacturing plant yesterday and said it had increased its capability to enrich uranium. The developments came a day after the United States said it would participate in talks with Iran and other nations over Tehran's nuclear program.
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, inaugurated the plant in the central city of Isfahan as Iran celebrated its National Nuclear Day. The plant is able to produce nuclear fuel tablets and rods for the country's 40-megawatt research reactor in Arak as well as fuel for the Russian-built nuclear power plant in Bushehr, the ISNA news agency reported.
Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization, said Iran had increased the number of its centrifuges to 7,000, from 6,000.
Centrifuges are machines that spin rapidly to enrich uranium. Highly enriched uranium can be used for making nuclear bombs, but Iran says that it is enriching uranium to lower levels in order to produce nuclear fuel for civilian use. The United States and several other countries believe Iran is pursuing a clandestine weapons program under the guise of a civilian one, a charge Tehran denies.
Ahmadinejad said during a speech broadcast on national television that Iran had achieved its nuclear progress under "the worst political and psychological pressure, even the threat of military invasion."
"But now the situation has changed in the world," he said. "Today the whole world knows that Iranian people seek justice and they will pursue their goals despite their enemies' pressure."
In a policy shift, Washington said Wednesday it would be willing to meet with five other powers -Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - and Iran over its nuclear program.
