Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
August 29, 2008

Iran Claims to Have 4,000 Working Nuclear Centrifuges
-----------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1DEF1BA:A6F02AD83191E16040ACB001464A169E98CBE7246176B735&
 
Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheik Attar says another 3,000
centrifuges will soon be installed at Iran's main nuclear site in Natanz

A top Iranian official say the country now has 4,000 working nuclear
centrifuges. An anti-aircraft gun position is seen at Iran's nuclear
enrichment facility in Natanz, Iran, in this Sept 2007 file photo Deputy
Foreign Minister Ali Reza Sheik Attar made the claim to Iranian state
media Friday, saying another 3,000 centrifuges will soon be installed at
Iran's main nuclear site in Natanz. The centrifuges could significantly
boost Iran's ability to produce enriched uranium. Iran has repeatedly
said the goal of its nuclear program is to generate electricity. But
critics - including the United States - fear Iran is trying to develop
nuclear warheads. Highly enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear
weapons. International officials last estimated Iran was operating 3,500
uranium-enriching centrifuges at the Natanz facility. Iran's President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, visits the Natanz Uranium Enrichment
Facility, 08 Apr 2008 (photo released by the Iranian President's
Office)In April, President Ahmadinejad announced plans to install 6,000
new centrifuges. Iran is under three sets of United Nations sanctions,
imposed because of its failure to comply with Security Council orders to
halt uranium enrichment. The U.N. has threatened to impose a fourth set
if Iran does not freeze its enrichment program. Iran said Thursday it
had agreed to share nuclear technology with Nigeria to help the African
nation produce more energy. Last week, a senior official with Iran's
atomic energy agency said the country had started designing its second
nuclear power plant. Iran is still building its first nuclear power
plant with Russia's assistance. The 1,000-megawatt plant is located in
the southern city of Bushehr.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


.