IRAN LAUNCHES PRODUCTION OF CENTRIFUGES TO ENRICH URANIUM

Iranian President Hassan Rowhani on Saturday launched a production line of new IR-9 centrifuges, which would allow the country to significantly increase its uranium enrichment, Farshid Motahari reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

During the opening ceremony, Rowhani spoke of a "great achievement" of the scientists of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), in comments carried by state television.

"We are conforming to the nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty and don't pursue military goals," Rowhani said.

"That's why a peaceful nuclear program is our legitimate right which we will pursue without foreign help." In the 2015 Vienna nuclear deal, Iran agreed to use only older centrifuges of the type IR-1 and keep uranium enrichment below the grade of 4 percent.

But after the United States left the deal in 2018, Tehran also gradually stopped honoring its commitments under the deal. According to the AEOI, within four months Iran enriched 57 kilograms of uranium at 20 percent.

The AEOI also said that with the new centrifuges, it will be able to increase enrichment to 60 percent. During the ceremony, Rowhani criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The task of the IAEA is not only to lead inspections and file reports but also to support the members in technical matters," he said, adding that this technical support had not happened. In recent months, the IAEA had reported several violations of the nuclear deal committed by Iran.

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