Iranian atomic agency announces launching hundreds of new centrifuges
AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi says the IAEA was informed of the organization's order to launch hundreds of new centrifuges.
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In a file frame from the Islamic Republic Iran Broadcasting, IRIB, state-run TV, three versions of domestically-built centrifuges are shown in a live TV program from Natanz, an Iranian uranium enrichment plant, in Iran, June 6, 2018 (IRIB via AP)
The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi, revealed Monday an order to launch hundreds of new centrifuges.
Speaking to Iranian TV, Kamalvandi indicated that the centrifuges belong to the modernized first and sixth generation, adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed of the action.
The spokesperson said that gas will be injected into the machines starting today.
Kamalvandi pointed out that many actions have been taken to reach the number of 1,000 sixth-generation centrifuges (IR6), as requested by the Shura Council.
In June, the Iranian news agency ISNA quoted an informed source as saying that Iran would speed up the production and installation of new generations of centrifuges, including the IR6, IR4, and IR2m generations.
The source indicated that this matter is among the measures that will be taken and will be reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to ISNA.
IAEA claims Iran escalating uranium enrichment at Fordow plant
It is noteworthy that in late June, the IAEA said in a report that Tehran is preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordow site.
In its report, the IAEA claimed that "Iran is escalating its uranium enrichment further by preparing to use advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordow site that can more easily switch between enrichment levels."
The IAEA report claimed that Tehran has not informed the UN nuclear watchdog what purity the cascade will enrich after passivation.
However, Iran had previously informed the IAEA that the two IR-6 cascades could be used to enrich to 5% or 20% purity.
Iran has neither secret nor unreported nuclear sites
This comes after the IAEA's Board of Governors adopted on June 8 a draft resolution submitted by the US and the E3 (France, UK, and Germany), criticizing Iran for what they claim were incomplete answers provided to the IAEA on uranium traces at "undeclared sites".
These claims were quickly refuted by the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, who said that Iran has neither secret or unwritten nuclear activities nor unreported nuclear sites.
Iran ceases all commitments beyond nuclear safeguard accords
It is noteworthy that Iran has abandoned all commitments beyond the Safeguards Agreement in response to the IAEA's Board of Governors' adoption of the anti-Iran resolution.
Before the release of the IAEA report that later led to the US and E3 submitting the draft, IAEA head Rafael Grossi visited "Israel", which raised questions regarding the nature of the visit ahead of the Body of Governors meeting and led to suspicions regarding the IAEA's impartiality.
