Iran brings thousands of centrifuges online, defying International Atomic Energy Agency resolution

Iran said on Nov. 27 that it has operationalized thousands of advanced uranium centrifuges in defiance of last week's International Atomic Energy Agency resolution against the country's poor cooperation with the UN's atomic watchdog.

"Gasification of a few thousands of new generation centrifuges has been started and we have put the centrifuges online," Mohammad Eslami, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Chief, said on state television.

"We have announced that if the West dislikes Iran's interaction and takes the path of confrontation and issuance of resolution, we will immediately carry out a reciprocal move," Eslami added.

The IAEA's motion, initiated by France, Germany, the UK, and the US, urged Iran to take the steps necessary to verify the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

"The level of [uranium] enrichment is according to the plan up to 60%. We also produce 5% and 20% enriched [uranium] for various purposes as part of our targets," Eslami said.

Commercial nuclear fuel is typically enriched to about 5% in the U-235 isotope, and new reactor designs call for material enriched up to 20%, however, higher enrichment levels raise concerns about the use of material for nuclear weapons. Iran has said it is not building nuclear weapons, but the IAEA has said there is evidence its nuclear program is not exclusively peaceful. Iran operates one commercial reactor and plans to build several more.

"What's important is that we could enhance efficiency. Advanced machines that have higher SWU with better performance and ones that are economical are on our agenda and we will use them," Eslami said. Separative work units, known as SWU, are a standard measure of uranium enrichment capacity.