Wider-scale use of the updated equipment could enable Iran to substantially accelerate production of fissile material, and Tuesday's announcement might further heighten U.S. and European fears that the nation's nuclear program is geared toward weapons development, according to Reuters (see GSN, July 15). Tehran has insisted its atomic activities are strictly peaceful (Ramin Mostafavi, Reuters, July 19).
"The installation of new centrifuges with better quality and speed is ongoing. We have announced it and the [International Atomic Energy Agency] has full supervision of them," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in remarks reported by Agence France-Presse. The official was addressing developments in plans announced last month by Iranian Atomic Energy Organization head Fereidoun Abbasi for the deployment of additional next-generation enrichment machines (see GSN, June 8; Farhad Pouladi, Agence France-Presse/Google News, July 19). Mehmanparast described the effort as a sign of progress in Iran's "peaceful nuclear activity."
"No new development has taken place regarding the nuclear talks with major powers," Reuters quoted the spokesman as saying. Iran most recently joined discussions with the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany in January; the meeting yielded little progress on the atomic issue. Meanwhile, activists said the Obama administration has refused to strike the Iranian resistance group People's Mujahedeen from a terrorism blacklist in compliance with a 2010 federal court order, the Washington Times reported on Monday.
"Until the [People's Mujahedeen] are removed from the list, the U.S. policy is appeasing the current Iranian regime," activist Mohamad Alafchi said. "The Iranian people see that. That’s the only reason they’re on the list -- to appease the Iranian regime." The State Department said it was still assessing information related to the organization, including data provided by the group last month. "We're currently reviewing this new material,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “So, no decision has been made".
NTI: Global Security Newswire - Iran Reports Advanced Centrifuge Deployment