Iran plans to upgrade its nuclear facility at Natanz nuclear plant//White House slams Iran's plan to

Iran plans to upgrade its nuclear facility at Natanz nuclear plant//White House slams Iran's plan to upgrade nuke activity

(Xinhua)

07:22, February 01, 2013

VIENNA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that it would install more new centrifuges at its main enrichment facility near the central town of Natanz, according to a document the agency released to the member states.

The document showed IAEA received a letter from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on January 24, informing the agency that "centrifuge machines type IR2m will be used in Unit A-22 at the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz."

The modern machine, IR2m, which is supposed to be more efficient than IR-1 model, Iran owns, would speed up Iran's uranium enrichment process, and further promote its uranium enrichment capacity.

The agency asked Iran on Tuesday to provide technical information about the updates.

Iran has been striving to develop new model of centrifuges to further promote its uranium enrichment capacity for years.

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（Editor：王金雪、陈丽丹）

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(Xinhua)

07:25, February 01, 2013

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The White House on Thursday slammed Iran's plan to install new centrifuges at its main enrichment facility in Natanz, calling it "a further escalation" over its disputed nuclear program.

"The installation of new advanced centrifuges is a further escalation and a continuing violation ... of Iran's obligations" under the resolutions of the UN Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board, said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

"It would mark yet another provocative step by Iran and will only invite further isolation by the international community," Carney warned at a regular news briefing.

Iran informed the IAEA last week that it would install more advanced centrifuges at its Natanz facility, just as the Islamic republic has been engaged in discussions about resuming talks with Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany, the so-called P5+1, over its nuclear project.

Three rounds of talks were held last year between the two sides but no breakthrough was made. Washington has set a March deadline for Iran to begin "substantive cooperation" with the IAEA or face the UN Security Council.

The UN Security Council and Western powers have imposed crippling sanctions on Iran over the years over its refusal to stop its uranium enrichment activities, while Iran insists on the peaceful nature of the program.

"That pressure will continue, and it will increase, as long as Tehran refuses to live up to its international obligations with regards to its nuclear program," Carney said.

"We continue to believe that there is time and space for diplomacy to work, but actions like this undercut the efforts of the international community to resolve its concerns over Iran's nuclear weapons," he added.