San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
IRAN NUKE PROGRAM TESTS NEW ADVANCED CENTRIFUGE
Iran said Saturday it has begun mechanical tests on its newest advanced nuclear centrifuge, even as the five world powers that remain in a foundering 2015 nuclear deal with Iran attempt to bring the U.S. back into the agreement.
Iran’s IR-9 centrifuge, when operational, would have the ability to separate uranium isotopes more quickly than the current centrifuges being used, thereby enriching uranium at a faster pace. The announcement carried on state TV came on Iran’s 15th annual “Nuclear Day.”
The IR-9’S output is 50 times quicker than the first Iranian centrifuge, the IR-1. The country also announced it had launched a chain of 164 IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday, and is also developing IR-8 centrifuges.
Since January, Iran has begun enriching uranium at up to 20 percent purity, a technical step away from weapons-grade levels, though Iran’s leadership insists the country has no desire to develop a nuclear weapon.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear accord in 2018, accusing Iran of failing to live up to the agreement, opting for what he called a maximum-pressure campaign of steppedup U.S. sanctions and other tough actions.
Iran responded by intensifying its enrichment of uranium and building centrifuges in plain violation of the accord, while insisting that its nuclear development is for civilian, not military, purposes.
Israel alleges Iran still maintains the ambition of developing nuclear weapons, pointing to Tehran’s ballistic missile program and research into other technologies. Tehran denies it is pursuing nuclear weapons, and says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
Iran also announced that it has finished repairs on an advanced centrifuge assembly plant that was destroyed by a mysterious explosion in July, state-run IRNA news agency reported.
Iran has blamed Israel for a recent series of attacks, including the explosion at the Natanz nuclear facility as well as another one in November that killed top scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. He had founded the Islamic Republic’s military nuclear program two decades ago.
Iran’s stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium has reached 121 pounds, moving its nuclear program closer to weapons-grade enrichment levels. The amount of the material was nearly 37. 5 pounds in January.
Iran has installed 1,000 IR2 centrifuge machines and one cascade of 164 IR4 machines. Both are in operation and have more speed than the IR1 machines.