Vienna: Iran has assembled hundreds of advanced machines in a possible indication that it aims to speed up uranium enrichment a process that can produce both fuel for power plants and the fissile core of nuclear warheads, diplomats have told The Associated Press. One of the diplomats said more than 300 of the centrifuges have been linked up in two separate units in Iran's underground enrichment plant in the town of Natanz and a third was being assembled.

He said the machines appeared to be more advanced than the thousands already set up and running underground, suggesting they could be the sophisticated IR-2 centrifuge that Tehran has recently acknowledged testing. But a senior diplomat said that, while the new work appeared to include advanced centrifuges, they were not IR-2s.

He added that it was unclear whether the machines were above or under the surface. The location is significant, since the above ground site at Natanz is for experimental work and the underground facility is the working enrichment plant. A third diplomat who like the other two closely follows Iran's nuclear programme confirmed that Iran had started linking up advanced centrifuges in a configuration used for enrichment. But he said all remained above ground and none of the machines were running.

Two of the diplomats spoke earlier this week and the third yesterday. All asked for anonymity because their information was confidential. In any case, the development reflected Iran's determination to push ahead with its enrichment programme despite three sets of UN Security Council sanctions. One of the diplomats said officials in Tehran would likely detail the new centrifuge work on April 8,a date Iran has designated National Nuclear Technology Day.

Source : PTI