TEHRAN, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Reza Aqazadeh said here Wednesday that more than 5,000 centrifuges are now operating in the country, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"At present, we have more than 5,000 centrifuges operating," Aqazadeh told reporters on the sidelines of the Exclusive Exhibition on Nuclear Industry Achievements, according to the report.

"Suspension has no meaning at all in Iran's culture and no such a thing exists," he added.

In August Iran said that 4,000 centrifuges were operating at the plant in Iranian central city of Natanz.

Tehran has already said that it is planning to launch 54,000 centrifuges for the required uranium enrichment to be used for civilian programs and for the country's economy development.

Iran continues carrying out its uranium enrichment, according to an investigation report circulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohammed ElBaradei to the agency's Board of Governors in Vienna last Wednesday.

The investigation report on Iran's nuclear issue said that the nuclear center at Iran's Natanz has already established 6,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium, in which 3,800 are in operation.

According to estimates, Iran has obtained two tons of enriched uranium since its uranium enrichment activities restarted at the Natanz nuclear center two years ago.

The UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions in two years requesting Iran to halt its questionable uranium enrichment activities and imposed sanctions on Iran as it refused to cooperate, but Iran has never stopped its industrial uranium enrichment.

ElBaradei also admitted in the report that over the recent three months, IAEA inspectors cannot verify whether Iran has a secret plan for nuclear weapon development, as the connection between IAEA and Iran has actually been cut off. Iran refused to provide any support for IAEA's investigation on the nature of its nuclear plans.

The United States and other western countries keep accusing Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear plans are only for peaceful purpose.
关键字:英语国际新闻
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