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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Reuters) Last update - 14:33 26/07/2008 Report: Ahmadinejad says Iran now has 6,000 centrifuges By The Associated Press Tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, nuclear  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Saturday that Iran now possesses 6,000 centrifuges, machines used to enrich uranium, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "Islamic Iran today possesses 6,000 centrifuges," Fars quoted Ahmadinejad as telling university professors in the northeastern city of Mashhad. The new figure is double the 3,000 centrifuges Iran had previously said it was operating in its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz. Advertisement In April, Ahmadinejad said Iran had begun installing 6,000 centrifuges at Natanz. His reported comments Saturday provided the first public assertion that Iran has reached that goal. The announcement is another act of defiance in the face of demands by the United States and other world powers for Iran to halt its enrichment work, which Washington and its allies fear Iran is intent on using to develop weapons. However, Ahmadinejad said those nations - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany - have tempered their demands, asking Iran not to freeze enrichment but rather not to expand its current program beyond 6,000 centrifuges, state-run radio reported. "Today, they have consented that the existing 5,000 or 6,000 centrifuges not be increased and that operation of this number of centrifuges is not a problem," state radio quoted Ahmadinejad as saying on Saturday. In its negotiation with Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany have offered a package of technological, economic and political incentives in return for Iran's cooperation. A report by the UN's nuclear monitoring agency that was delivered to the Security Council in May said Iran had 3,500 centrifuges, though a senior UN official said at the time that Iran's goal of 6,000 machines running by the summer was pretty much plausible. Uranium can be used as nuclear reactor fuel or as the core for atomic warheads, depending on the degree of enrichment. Iran says it is interested in enrichment only for its nuclear power program. The workhorse of Iran's enrichment program is the P-1 centrifuge, which is run in cascades of 164 machines. But Iranian officials confirmed in February that they had started using the IR-2 centrifuge that can churn out enriched uranium at more than double the rate. A total of 3,000 centrifuges is the commonly accepted figure for a nuclear enrichment program that is past the experimental stage and can be used as a platform for a full industrial-scale program that could churn out enough enriched material for dozens of nuclear weapons. Iran says it plans to move toward large-scale uranium enrichment that ultimately will involve 54,000 centrifuges. Related articles: Report: Ex-Mossad chief says strike on Iran could 'affect us for 100 years' Obama pledges to coordinate Iran policy with Israel Israel seeks input on U.S. Iran report No breakthrough on Iran nuclear talks in Geneva; another round in two weeks Bookmark to del.icio.us   Internal fighting Human rights groups say torture is widespread in Palestinian lockups. Danger looms Pentagon chief Robert Gates warns: War with Iran would be 'disastrous.'   1.   who sells centrifuges to Iran? 13:35  |  Vital 26/07/08   2.   They realize oil is finite 13:52  |  Guy From NYC 26/07/08   3.   Vittal 13:58  |  Bob 26/07/08   4.   Iran appears really, really frightened of America and Israel 14:00  |  Clickfool 26/07/08   5.   TO#1: THE SOVIETS! 14:08  |  COLD WAR NEVER DIED 26/07/08   6.   Ahmad`s 6000 centrifuges 14:20  |  Brod 26/07/08   7.   #1: They make them 14:56  |  Danny 26/07/08   8.   Reap what you sow .... been happening a lot lately 15:01  |  Natallie Durson 26/07/08   9.   Lock and Load Time 15:46  |  Robert 26/07/08   10.   Iran`s Slight Of Hand 15:57  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   11.   I Would Guess... 16:06  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   12.   #1 Iran is an independent state 16:09  |  Siad 26/07/08   13.   #1 They are domestically made 16:12  |  Scientist 26/07/08   14.   brod - I care about america 16:13  |  American 26/07/08   15.   I Think I Know What This Is 16:21  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   16.   Brod, you are a bit hysterical and making bad propaganda 16:25  |  Mark B. 26/07/08   17.   Typical question, Vital 16:30  |  Mark B. 26/07/08   18.   Just to point out the duplicity...... 16:37  |  Johnboy 26/07/08   19.   You Go Boy!!!! 16:49  |  Cool B 26/07/08   20.   Natalie #8 17:26  |  Brod 26/07/08   21.   To Natallie 18:17  |  Danny 26/07/08   22.   centrifuges 18:25  |  Shmuelshachor 26/07/08   23.   I guess soon Israel will pay a little visit 18:49  |  Big Sur 26/07/08   24.   Danny #9 Natalie is a postergirl for Iran 18:52  |  Big Sur 26/07/08   25.   Vital: who sells centrifuges 18:58  |  Guy From NYC 26/07/08   26.   Worst Case Scenario 18:58  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   27.   TO BEAT THE LOGIC BY CONDUCTING THE OPPOSITE 19:07  |  indrajaya 26/07/08   28.   To two supporters of nuclear Iran - Clickfool and Natalie D. 19:45  |  Vital 26/07/08   29.   For Vital: Germany #1 19:46  |  Jonathan S 26/07/08   30.   US needs strategic missile defense now more than ever 20:07  |  Voice of Reason 26/07/08   31.   Re: Reap what you sow... 20:09  |  Ari 26/07/08   32.   Indrajaya 20:25  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   33.   Clickfool 20:37  |  Yosemite 26/07/08   34.   Iran has not attacked for 250 years! 20:47  |  cgc 26/07/08   35.   # 17 Mark B. Regarding your response to Vital 20:56  |  Arab 26/07/08   36.   Ari # 31 21:07  |  EDBTZ 26/07/08   37.   An Empty Barrel 21:35  |  US CITIZEN 26/07/08   38.   #36--EDBTZ 21:48  |  US CITIZEN 26/07/08   39.   Mark B. # 16 _ Do You Have An Opinion On How This Will Work? 22:17  |  Eli 26/07/08   40.   US citizen #38 22:37  |  EDBTZ 26/07/08   41.   cgc,#34, is wrong, Iran attacked US in 1979 22:38  |  Voice of Reason 26/07/08   42.   CFOOL.Arabs also talked tough in 1967.Threw down the gauntlet. 23:17  |  PETER SM 26/07/08   43.   To Vital. `To supporters of Nuclear Iran` - make that three. 23:22  |  John Mackie 26/07/08   44.   Why the sense of shock and surprise? 23:27  |  Pablo B 26/07/08   45.   Iran provoking nuclear war 23:29  |  Gregor 26/07/08   46.   How about a Nuclear strike on Iran? 00:00  |  Michael 27/07/08   47.   Iran needs Nukes 00:31  |  Univers 27/07/08   48.   41 Voice of Reason(Unreason!) you are evidently not au courrant 01:26  |  lakshmi 27/07/08   49.   American #14 01:44  |  Brod 27/07/08   50.   Re Arab 02:35  |  Omid the Persian 27/07/08   51.   # 32, YOSEMITE 02:35  |  indrajaya 27/07/08   52.   # 51, A CORRECTION 02:40  |  indrajaya 27/07/08   53.   Talkbacker needs a name 02:59  |  Brod 27/07/08   54.   What we know and what we`d like to know 04:35  |  Guy From NYC 27/07/08   55.   MACKIE Arabs/Iran have WMD`s and outgun Israel in total 05:07  |  PETER SM 27/07/08   56.   GUY From NY.IAEA Does NOT posses the information YOU seem to. 07:16  |  PETER SM 27/07/08   57.   Voice of Reason (30) what about the Muslims in your country 10:22  |  Jew- and Bookburner 27/07/08   58.   thank you for the information, pig man. 18:54  |  frenz 28/07/08

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