Iran seeks at least 50,000 centrifuges, says Ahmadinejad (Roundup)

Dec 5, 2007, 15:38 GMT

Ilam, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that Islamic republic still seeks at least 50,000 uranium- enriching centrifuges in order to provide fuel for its nuclear power plants in the future.

'We need at least 50,000 centrifuges in order to realize our aim of producing our own nuclear fuel,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Galavizan sports in the western provincial capital city of Ilam.

In September, Ahmadinejad said Iran had reached a key point of its nuclear drive by installing 3,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges which were all operational.

Experts say 3,000 centrifuges could make enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb in about a year if they were operating properly for long periods at supersonic speeds.

The United Nations Security Council has passed two resolutions calling on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

While the West suspects Tehran of actively pursuing nuclear weapons, Tehran insists it is for peaceful purposes aiming at producing electricity.

'We have not given in to any suspension of uranium enrichment and it was great work by Iranian nation to resist the big powers for a long time,' Ahmadinejad said in defiance of world powers.

Rejecting the UN demands, Iran calls the US and its Western allies to stop politicizing Iran's nuclear programme and allow the dossier to be returned from the UN Security Council to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

A US intelligence released a report on Monday verifying Iran had halted its atomic weapons programme in 2003 and seemed less determined to develop nuclear arms than George W Bush's administration previously believed.

As of mid-2007, Iran had not resumed its nuclear weapons programme even as it was continuing uranium enrichment in defiance of the United Nations Security Council, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report said.

Ahmadinejad earlier termed the report as a victory for Iranian nation in nuclear battle against the Washington and said 'What's important is, we won the battle against the US for maintaining our grace and independence.

He reiterated his country will not back down in its nuclear dispute with the West: 'Following this (US intelligence) report, the enemies of Iran have realized that they can not intimidate our nation with threats.'

On Tuesday, President George W Bush stood by his tough Iran policy and said 'I believed before the NIE that Iran was dangerous and I believe after the NIE that Iran is dangerous.'

'And I believe now is the time for the world to do the hard work necessary to convince the Iranians there is a better way forward,' Bush said at a White House press conference.

Washington has had comprehensive sanctions on Iran since the 1979- 1981 US embassy takeover, and Bush ordered the tightening of the sanctions in October to target Iranian banks and financial institutions believed to be supporting Tehran's nuclear work.