Iran activates advanced centrifuges to step up uranium enrichment required for nuclear weapons

Tehran: Iran has announced the activation of the advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, needed to make nuclear weapons. The chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation informed of the decision on Saturday, Sept 7. The United States offered a sarcastic remark on the move saying that Iran’s announcement to violate the JCPOA came as no surprise.

Only two days ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had announced backtracking on the provisions of the 2015 nuclear deal. ‘Henceforth, Iran will begin developing more advanced centrifuges. The centrifuges will enable Iran to speed up uranium enrichment,’ President Rouhani said. Rouhani’s decision is considered to be a significant step towards the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

The Iranian agencies corroborated President Rouhani’s announcement on Saturday. The Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Behrouz Kamalvandi informed on the activation of the advanced centrifuges. He said that Iran had activated the IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges. Also, he asserted that ‘The capacity of these machines is many times more than the previous machines’.

A few months ago, Iran had laid down certain conditions before the European nations to salvage the nuclear deal. Iran had warned of taking steps away from the nuclear deal if the conditions were not satisfied. The activation of the centrifuges is considered to be the third and final part of Iran’s steps in violation of it. Iran is, therefore, believed to have once again begun advancing towards the acquisition of nuclear weapons.

The US Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper, delivered a scornful reaction saying that Iran’s move of activating the advanced centrifuges was no surprise. Esper lambasted the countries supporting Iran on the nuclear deal saying, ‘Iran has always been violating the nuclear deal. They have dismissed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for so many years. It’s no surprise that the Iranians are going to pursue what the Iranians always intended to pursue.’ Iran has even informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the steps it intends to take and speed up uranium enrichment. Moreover, the IAEA has indicated that their senior officials would soon be visiting Iran.

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