Following criticism from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Iran’s nuclear programme, Tehran announced on Saturday plans to commission thousands of new centrifuges for uranium enrichment.
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According to a report by the news agency ISNA, they are expected to be installed within the next four to six months, said Behrus Kamalwandi, deputy director of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization.
“In this way, the Western parties that have attempted to push back on Iran’s nuclear programme will be confronted with a different reality: a programme that is both quantitatively and qualitatively far more comprehensive and advanced,” Kamalwandi said, according to the report. “This will certainly not please them.”
On Thursday, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution requiring agency chief Rafael Grossi to present a report on open questions concerning Iran’s nuclear programme by the spring. IAEA inspectors have been demanding conclusive explanations from Tehran for years regarding indices indicative of secret nuclear facilities and past nuclear activities. Should Tehran continue to withhold answers, Grossi’s report could, according to Western diplomats, provide the basis to involve the UN Security Council.
In a joint statement, the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom called on Iran to cooperate and resolve outstanding issues.
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“We hope Iran will take the opportunity between now and that report to finally provide the information and cooperation needed to resolve these issues, the statement said.