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Iran's nuclear program advances, officials say

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 6, 2007

VIENNA - Shrugging off the threat of tougher U.N. sanctions, Iran has set up more than 300 centrifuges in two uranium enrichment units at its underground Natanz complex, diplomats and officials told the Associated Press on Monday.

The move potentially opens the way for larger scale enrichment that could be used to create nuclear warheads. Iranian leaders have said the Natanz hall would house first 3,000 centrifuges and ultimately 54,000 machines.

It also poses a direct challenge to the U.N. Security Council, which in December imposed limited sanctions linked to Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs - and warned of stricter penalties within 60 days unless Iran freezes enrichment.

Speaking separately - and demanding anonymity because their information was confidential - a diplomat accredited to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency and a U.S. official said that two "cascades" of 164 centrifuges each had been set up in recent days.

The likely next step was "dry testing" - running the linkups without uranium gas inside - to be followed by attempts to spin and re-spin the gas. The process, known as enrichment, can be used to fuel nuclear power plants. At higher levels of enrichment the material can be used for the core of nuclear warheads.

[Last modified February 6, 2007, 00:50:49]