Ex-nuke chief says Iran has 18,000 centrifuges.(HD).
Iran's outgoing nuclear chief says Tehran has a total of 18,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment - a process that can be a pathway to making nuclear weapons. The number is higher by a third than publicly known.
Fereidoun Abbasi's announcement came as he handed over his post Aug. 17 to Ali Akbar Salehi, appointed by new President Hasan Rouhani.
Abbasi says 10,000 centrifuges currently operating are of an older model, IR-1, while about 7,000 more of the same model are ready to be installed along with just over 1,000 centrifuges of an advanced new model.
The U.S. and its allies fear Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful. Rouhani has pledged to follow a policy of moderation and ease tensions with the outside world.
So Iran has 18,000 centrifuges with 10,000 of them spinning away. On top of that we find out that Zimbabwe has an alleged interest in selling uranium to Iran, which is consistent with the tendency of rogue nations to band together since they really can't partake in the regular commerce of international trade. In Mugabe and Khamenei you have two kindred spirits who will stop at nothing to preserve their own power base and fiddle with election outcomes. Iran's status as a pariah nation, hellbent on developing nuclear weapons creates significant instability to the Middle East and shows no let-up in this commitment. The international community should be extremely worried that Iran is seeking nuclear fuel outside of the approved avenues of low-enriched nuclear fuel rods, but is instead seeking raw mineral that it can enrich itself to weapon grade. The only real option for getting Iran off this course is to seek regime change. Hopefully it can be done by the ballot box if the people are given the opportunity for a free and fair election, but given what happened in 2009 and most recently in the elimination of over 680 candidates on the ballot, the odds are not good. If you want to see how Mr. Moderation, President Rouhani, is really a loyal hardliner, just check out www.hassan-rouhani.info.
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