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Iran announces nuclear expansion | Iran announces nuclear expansion |
(about 1 hour later) | |
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium - nearly twice the number of only a few months ago. | President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium - nearly twice the number of only a few months ago. |
He has claimed the West has accepted the increase. | He has claimed the West has accepted the increase. |
Iran is under UN sanctions, with the demand that it suspend the enrichment programme, which the West fears may be used for nuclear bombs | Iran is under UN sanctions, with the demand that it suspend the enrichment programme, which the West fears may be used for nuclear bombs |
His announcement is likely to be met with a degree of scepticism by the outside world. | |
The Iranian president has often exaggerated the programme, as a deliberate challenge to the world powers who are trying to restrict Iran's ability to enrich uranium. | The Iranian president has often exaggerated the programme, as a deliberate challenge to the world powers who are trying to restrict Iran's ability to enrich uranium. |
This time he went further, claiming the West had agreed to allow Iran to have 5,000 to 6,000 centrifuges. | This time he went further, claiming the West had agreed to allow Iran to have 5,000 to 6,000 centrifuges. |
His comments come just as Iran is considering freezing the nuclear programme at current levels, in return for a freeze on new sanctions. | His comments come just as Iran is considering freezing the nuclear programme at current levels, in return for a freeze on new sanctions. |
So perhaps Mr Ahmadinejad is trying to stake a claim to Iran's right to the new higher figure, even if it agrees to a freeze. | So perhaps Mr Ahmadinejad is trying to stake a claim to Iran's right to the new higher figure, even if it agrees to a freeze. |
Or perhaps it is just more of the tough rhetoric that he has revived, after a few weeks of relative silence on the nuclear issue. | Or perhaps it is just more of the tough rhetoric that he has revived, after a few weeks of relative silence on the nuclear issue. |
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