A milestone in Iran's nuclear program has been the assembly and
operation of 3,000 centrifuges. Officials had pledged that this would be
achieved in April 2007. In early June, the International Atomic Energy
Agency said Teheran accumulated about 1,650 centrifuges.
"In the first steps, we were halted, and they [the West] did not allow
our only 20 centrifuge machines to work," Pour-Mohammadi recalled.
In a report by the semi-official Iranian Student News Agency,
Pour-Mohammadi said Iran has stored more than 165 tons of uranium
hexafluoride, or UF6. The gas comprises the feeder material for centrifuges
that spin and convert UF6 into enriched uranium.
Iran has reported producing uranium with an enrichment level of about
five percent, sufficient for nuclear reactor fuel. Weapons-grade uranium
requires about 90 percent enrichment.
"When the world saw that the [Iranian] nation is pursuing this goal with
unity, the world surrendered, " Pour-Mohammadi said. "We have passed the
dangerous moment."
Hours after his remarks, the Interior Ministry denied that
Pour-Mohammadi provided figures on Iran's uranium enrichment program. The
ministry statement, released by the official Islamic Republic News Agency,
said the minister referred to UF6 production rather than the "extent of
enriched uranium or the number of installed centrifuges in Natanz."
"Thus, the information published, quoting him in those respects, are
quite false," the ministry said.
Irna said the Interior Ministry advised journalists, particularly those
who work for the foreign media, to "refrain from quoting Iranian officials
through unofficial sites and news agencies."
