Iran installs two uranium-enrichment units in Natanz: diplomats

Iran's technicians have assembled and installed two uranium-enrichment units at the underground nuclear complex in the central town of Natanz, reported Austrian News Agency (APA), citing western diplomats, on Monday.

Consisting of 328 centrifuges, the two units would be just the start of the planned installation of 3,000 centrifuges, said the diplomats, who believed that Iran intends to "have about 1,000 centrifuges installed by the spring, and the rest of the 3,000 by around June."

So far the two units have not been in operation yet, said a European Union (EU) diplomat at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in a statement.

The UN Security Council passed Resolution 1737 on Dec. 23, 2006, calling on Tehran to suspend its enrichment activities while imposing sanctions on Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

However, Iran rejected the resolution and vowed to install at least 3,000 centrifuges by the end of March.

On Dec. 27, the Iranian parliament passed a bill ordering the government to reduce its cooperation with the UN nuclear agency, which was approved by the powerful Guardians Council immediately and formally became law.

Source: Xinhua