Electrical outage in Natanz after Iran's unveiling of advanced centrifuges
In the framework of "National Nuclear Technology Day" President Rouhani unveiled 133 advances in the field, and claimed again that all of the Iranian activity in the field is for peaceful purposes. The indirect negotiations with the U.S. are expected to resume this week
Mandi Kogosowski
| 12/04/2021
Photo from the Tehran Times website
Iran revealed on Saturday that it started to operate advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium. In the framework of a ceremony marking National Nuclear Technology Day, the advanced centrifuges were one of 133 advances in the nuclear field unveiled by President Hassan Rouhani in a special ceremony. On Sunday morning, Iranian television reported electrical problems that led to an "incident" at the underground nuclear facility in Natanz, but there were no casualties and the circumstances of the outage are being checked.
During the ceremony, which was televised from a number of locations, the president gave an order to inject uranium gas into 164 IR-6 centrifuges and 30 IR-5 centrifuges, as well as carry out mechanical checks of IR-9 centrifuges at the facility in Natanz. It was, of course, in violation of the nuclear agreement, but Iran continues to deny that that the developments are intended to attain a bomb.
"Once again, I stress that all our nuclear activities are peaceful and for non-military purposes," Rouhani said, adding that "We continue to be committed to our pledge to NPT (non-proliferation treaty) and to the world not to deviate militarily from our nuclear program." The head of the IOEA, Ali Akbar Salehi, claimed that Iran maintains international standards and that the advanced centrifuges are necessary for medical developments in the field of organ transplants, manufacturing of radioactive medicines and upgrade of the blood bank, among others.
The Al-Jazeera network reported that the IR-6 is considered the most effective and sustainable centrifuge that Iran is using today, and is intended for mass production at the industrial level. It has been claimed that the centrifuge is capable of producing 10 times more hexafluoride (UF6) than the first generation centrifuge, the IR-1.
Regarding the nuclear agreement, Rouhani said that "One of the honorable results of the JCPOA was that it fully legalized nuclear industry in Iran," and that "unwarranted worries" caused problems for it during the last 16 years. He called the Iranian nuclear policy "transparent" and said that the technology has many applications in the fields of agriculture, medicine, electricity generation and more.
Rouhani accused international entities of deceiving Iran and not assisting it in development of the nuclear industry, even though that was the reason that Iran joined the Nonproliferation Treaty. "You are indebted to us. You are not creditor," he said, according to a report by the Tehran Times.
The Iranian declaration came with the end of the first week of indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran, which took place in Vienna with the mediation of the rest of the countries that signed the agreement. On Friday, the sides started to discuss the specific sanctions that the U.S. will agree to lift in exchange for the stopping of violations by Iran, but no agreement was reached.
The Iranian side is sticking to its position that all of the sanctions must be lifted, while the Americans reject this demand and agree to discuss the lifting of those "that are inconsistent with the JCPOA," an official statement said. The talks are expected to resume on Wednesday.
While the talks were underway on Friday, Reuters reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a new report concerning new violations by Iran, and claimed that Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile to an amount exceeding what is allowed in the agreement.
In the framework of "National Nuclear Technology Day" President Rouhani unveiled 133 advances in the field, and claimed again that all of the Iranian activity in the field is for peaceful purposes. The indirect negotiations with the U.S. are expected to resume this week
Photo from the Tehran Times website
Iran revealed on Saturday that it started to operate advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium. In the framework of a ceremony marking National Nuclear Technology Day, the advanced centrifuges were one of 133 advances in the nuclear field unveiled by President Hassan Rouhani in a special ceremony. On Sunday morning, Iranian television reported electrical problems that led to an "incident" at the underground nuclear facility in Natanz, but there were no casualties and the circumstances of the outage are being checked.
During the ceremony, which was televised from a number of locations, the president gave an order to inject uranium gas into 164 IR-6 centrifuges and 30 IR-5 centrifuges, as well as carry out mechanical checks of IR-9 centrifuges at the facility in Natanz. It was, of course, in violation of the nuclear agreement, but Iran continues to deny that that the developments are intended to attain a bomb.
"Once again, I stress that all our nuclear activities are peaceful and for non-military purposes," Rouhani said, adding that "We continue to be committed to our pledge to NPT (non-proliferation treaty) and to the world not to deviate militarily from our nuclear program." The head of the IOEA, Ali Akbar Salehi, claimed that Iran maintains international standards and that the advanced centrifuges are necessary for medical developments in the field of organ transplants, manufacturing of radioactive medicines and upgrade of the blood bank, among others.
The Al-Jazeera network reported that the IR-6 is considered the most effective and sustainable centrifuge that Iran is using today, and is intended for mass production at the industrial level. It has been claimed that the centrifuge is capable of producing 10 times more hexafluoride (UF6) than the first generation centrifuge, the IR-1.
Regarding the nuclear agreement, Rouhani said that "One of the honorable results of the JCPOA was that it fully legalized nuclear industry in Iran," and that "unwarranted worries" caused problems for it during the last 16 years. He called the Iranian nuclear policy "transparent" and said that the technology has many applications in the fields of agriculture, medicine, electricity generation and more.
Rouhani accused international entities of deceiving Iran and not assisting it in development of the nuclear industry, even though that was the reason that Iran joined the Nonproliferation Treaty. "You are indebted to us. You are not creditor," he said, according to a report by the Tehran Times.
The Iranian declaration came with the end of the first week of indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran, which took place in Vienna with the mediation of the rest of the countries that signed the agreement. On Friday, the sides started to discuss the specific sanctions that the U.S. will agree to lift in exchange for the stopping of violations by Iran, but no agreement was reached.
The Iranian side is sticking to its position that all of the sanctions must be lifted, while the Americans reject this demand and agree to discuss the lifting of those "that are inconsistent with the JCPOA," an official statement said. The talks are expected to resume on Wednesday.
While the talks were underway on Friday, Reuters reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a new report concerning new violations by Iran, and claimed that Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile to an amount exceeding what is allowed in the agreement.
