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Iran to unveil new uranium centrifuges, state TV says Iran loads 'first domestically-made nuclear fuel'
(about 3 hours later)
Iran is to unveil a "new generation" of faster, more efficient uranium enrichment centrifuges, state television says. Iran has staged an elaborate ceremony to unveil new developments in its nuclear programme.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to make an announcement on Iran's nuclear programme later. Tehran says it has used domestically-made nuclear fuel in a reactor for the first time, and also unveiled more efficient enrichment centrifuges.
Western countries fear that Iran is working towards making its own nuclear weapons. State television showed President Ahmadinejad inspecting the rods as they were loaded into a reactor.
Tehran denies this, saying its nuclear programme is only for energy production. Western countries fear Iran wants to make nuclear weapons; Tehran says it only wants to produce its own energy.
President Ahmadinejad said last week that his country would be announcing "great" nuclear achievements. The government unveiled the "new generation" of faster, more efficient uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz facility in the centre of the country.
He said that Iran would never halt its programme to enrich uranium. The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, said they were three times more efficient than their existing capacity.
In January the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had started the production of uranium enriched up to 20% at its Qom plant. President Ahmadinejad was wearing a white coat at the research reactor in Tehran, and was also shown attending the ceremony to mark what he has called the great achievements in the nuclear sphere.
He said last week that his country would never halt its programme to enrich uranium.
Home-grown industryHome-grown industry
Iran will also load its own domestically made nuclear fuel rods into the Tehran Research Reactor for the first time, senior national security official Ali Baqeri said. In January the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran had started the production of uranium enriched up to 20% at its Qom plant.
The key factors in the centrifuge announcement will be exactly how many are produced and how efficient they are.
Nuclear experts believe that sanctions will make it hard for Iran to get hold of the kind of materials it needs to make its centrifuges as efficient as possible.
In theory, faster, more efficient centrifuges would shorten the timeline for the production of highly enriched uranium - should Iran choose to take that step.
A deal to provide fuel for the reactor from abroad collapsed two years ago - at which point Iran decided to make the fuel itself.A deal to provide fuel for the reactor from abroad collapsed two years ago - at which point Iran decided to make the fuel itself.
One central point links these developments, says the BBC's Iran correspondent James Reynolds: Iran is determined to show that it can master nuclear technology on its own, and that international sanctions against its nuclear programme will make no difference.One central point links these developments, says the BBC's Iran correspondent James Reynolds: Iran is determined to show that it can master nuclear technology on its own, and that international sanctions against its nuclear programme will make no difference.
The US and the European Union have recently imposed new sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales as part of a drive to increase international pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme.The US and the European Union have recently imposed new sanctions targeting Iranian oil sales as part of a drive to increase international pressure on Tehran over its nuclear programme.
Talks between Iran and six world powers - the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - on the nuclear programme collapsed a year ago and show little sign of resuming.Talks between Iran and six world powers - the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia and China - on the nuclear programme collapsed a year ago and show little sign of resuming.