April 17, 2007 Iran Needs Four Years
to Complete Fuel Cycle
Tehran
Chief of Iran's atomic agency Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh said Tuesday that
Iran would still need four years to complete its own nuclear fuel
cycle.
"The uranium enrichment plant in Natanz (central Iran) has been
constructed for establishing a factory for 50,000 centrifuges, but
it would take between two to four years for install all these
centrifuges," Aqazadeh told ISNA news agency.
Aqazadeh, who is also vice-president, proclaimed last week that Iran
has developed the ability to enrich uranium on an industrial scale
but refrained to give the exact number of the running centrifuges in
Natantz.
"Disclosing the number of the centrifuges is internationally not
common," he said while again refraining to give further details.
There have been indications by Iranian officials that about 3,000
centrifuges were already running in Natanz but several relevant
circles, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
have voiced doubts about the Iranian claim.
The five-day inspection results of an IAEA team would clarify
whether the Iranian claim of 3,000 centrifuges was correct or not.
The IAEA report is to be presented to the UN Security Council and
the IAEA board members ahead of its regular meeting scheduled for
June 11.
Aqazadeh however said that the IAEA was not authorized to disclose
the details of Iran's nuclear programmes.
According to the IAEA, up to now only the installation of around
1,000 centrifuges - in six so-called cascades with 164 centrifuges
each - could be confirmed, although it was still unclear whether all
six cascades were fully operational.
Aqazadeh confirmed press reports that some of the centrifuges blew
up during the enrichment process. Without giving a precise number of
the blown up centrifuges, he said that the damages ranged from ten
to twenty per cent.
The atomic chief further claimed that all centrifuges were made in
and by Iran adding that imported centrifuges would not be usable in
Natanz.
Aqazadeh reiterated that Iran would still prefer to settle the
nuclear dispute and remove international concern through
negotiations with the five permanent United Nations Security Council
members plus Germany.
"We do not want to close our doors to the world and prefer more
international understanding, but if they imposed sanctions against
us, then we would still be able to manage the country," he said.
Aqazadeh said that Iran would continue its nuclear programmes
despite international pressure "but Iran had no interest in leaving
the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)."
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