2/15/2012 3:41 PM ET
(RTTNews) - Iran announced two major achievements in its disputed nuclear program on Wednesday, including the fist-ever insertion of domestically-made fuel plates into a research reactor in northern Tehran and the development of faster as well as more efficient uranium enrichment centrifuges.
State television showed images of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inspecting the rods as they were being loaded into the reactor in Tehran. The semi-official FARS news agency later quoted the president as saying at a ceremony that it was a "very big new achievement" in the country's nuclear program.
Ahmadinejad added that Iran's "nuclear path will continue" despite the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic over its uranium enrichment program. He also accused the western nations of attempting to "monopolize nuclear technology."
Separately, the Iranian government announced the development of "faster, more efficient" uranium enrichment centrifuges. The new centrifuges have gone into operation at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. The new centrifuges are said to have a higher speed and production capacity and is claimed to produces less waste.
Iran had announced last month that it had begun production of uranium enriched up to 20% at the underground Fordo nuclear plant north of the country under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran had confirmed the plant's existence only after western intelligence agencies identified it in September 2009.
The latest developments come amidst escalating tensions between Iran and western nations over Teheran's nuclear program. Although Iran maintains its uranium enrichment is aimed at producing fuel for a medical-purpose reactor, the West suspects it a cover-up for producing weapon-grade uranium.
Iran had threatened last month to close down the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost 40 percent of the world's tanker-borne oil passes. The threat was in response to sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic by the US and its allies over Teheran's refusal to address international concerns on its disputed nuclear program. The US responded strongly by warning that it will not tolerate any disruption to the oil traffic through the strategic waterway.
In the wake of an IAEA report in November that Iran may be planning to develop nuclear weapons, the United States, Britain and Canada had announced new sanctions. The US has since tightened its sanctions on Iran to include the country's oil sector and central bank.
Meanwhile, the EU barred member-states in January from importing, purchasing and transporting Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. The bloc also froze the assets of the Iranian central bank within the EU, while ensuring that legitimate trade would continue under strict conditions. The West hopes that the new sanctions will persuade Iran to rejoin the stalled international negotiations on its disputed nuclear program.
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