Tehran begins testing advanced nuclear centrifuge

TEHRAN — Iran said Saturday it has begun 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 IR9 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 annual Nuclear Day.

The IR9’s output is 50 times quicker than the first Iranian centrifuge, the IR1.

Since January, Iran has begun enriching uranium at up to 20% purity, a technical step away from weaponsgrade levels, though Iran’s leadership insists the country has no desire to develop a nuclear weapon.

Former 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 maximumpressure campaign of 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 maintains Iran still maintains the ambition of developing nuclear weapons, pointing to Tehran’s ballistic missile program and research into other technologies.

Iran’s stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached 55 kilograms (121 pounds), moving its nuclear program closer to weaponsgrade enrichment levels. The amount of the material was 17 kilograms in January.

Iran argues that the U.S.’s departure from the nuclear deal was the first violation of the pact by either county and therefore the U.S. must make the first move and remove sanctions before Iran returns to compliance.

President Biden came into office saying that returning to the accord and getting Iran’s nuclear program back under international restrictions was a priority. But Iran and the United States have disagreed over Iran’s demands that sanctions be lifted first. That deadlock has threatened to become an early foreign policy setback for the new president.

Talks in Vienna aimed at bringing the U.S. back into the deal with Iran broke Friday without any immediate signs of progress on issues.