Iran Has Installed 18,000 Uranium- Enrichment Centrifuges-- Former Nuclear Chief

Iran has installed 18,000 uranium -enrichment centriguges, the outgoing nuclear chief was quoted as saying by Iranian media. The US and its Allies are pressuring Iran to curb its uranium enrichment program which they suspect aims at developing nuclear capability. But Iran refuses and insists its nuclear activity is purely for peaceful purposes. New Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator who oversaw a previous deal to suspend Iran's uranium enrichment program, has welcomed the new talks with world powers over the program but insisted on Iran's right to enrich uranium. Iran has 17,000 older "first generation" IR-1 centrifuges, of which 10,000 are operating and 7,000 are ready to start operation. A May report from the UN nuclear watchdog indicated that Iran had by then installed roughly 16,600 IR-1 machines in two separate facilities. Abbasi Davani, the outgoing chief told Iran had 1,000 more advanced centrifuge ready to start operation. In a reference to IR-2m machines which when once operational would allow Iran to enrich uranium several times faster than IR-01 machines. IAEA in May report said that Iran had installed 689 such centrifuges and emtied centrifuge casings.