TEHRAN: Iran declared on Thursday major advances in its controversial atomic drive as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opened a nuclear fuel plant and announced the testing of two high capacity centrifuges.Ahmadinejad's announcements at a function in Isfahan province marking national nuclear day are likely to trigger fresh concerns among world powers, who fear Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making atomic weapons, but Washington's first reactions were skeptical.Tehran insists its programme is for peaceful purposes only.Ahmadinejad said Iran has notched up two achievements -- the manufacture of nuclear fuel and "testing of two kinds of new centrifuges having greater capacity (to enrich uranium) than the existing ones."He was speaking after cutting the ribbon at the fuel facility in Isfahan, which the Mehr news agency said can produce 10 tonnes of nuclear fuel annually to feed the heavy water 40-megawatt Arak reactor and 30 tonnes for light water reactors such as the Bushehr nuclear plant.
Iran declares major breakthroughs in nuclear drive
TEHRAN: Iran declared on Thursday major advances in its controversial atomic drive as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opened a nuclear fuel plant and announced the testing of two high capacity centrifuges.Ahmadinejad's announcements at a function in Isfahan province marking national nuclear day are likely to trigger fresh concerns among world powers, who fear Iran's nuclear programme is aimed at making atomic weapons, but Washington's first reactions were skeptical.Tehran insists its programme is for peaceful purposes only.Ahmadinejad said Iran has notched up two achievements -- the manufacture of nuclear fuel and "testing of two kinds of new centrifuges having greater capacity (to enrich uranium) than the existing ones."He was speaking after cutting the ribbon at the fuel facility in Isfahan, which the Mehr news agency said can produce 10 tonnes of nuclear fuel annually to feed the heavy water 40-megawatt Arak reactor and 30 tonnes for light water reactors such as the Bushehr nuclear plant.
