IAEA condemns Iran, State Department agrees, Iran activates centrifuges in response

In response to a statement by a watchdog nuclear agency condemning its nuclear program, Iran’s state news agency reported Tehran started activating new advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges.

According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a joint statement Friday calling the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) condemnation “politically-moticated, unrealistic, and a counterproductive measure.” In response, “the launch of a noticeable number of new and advanced centrifuges of different types” have been ordered in Tehran.

On Nov. 21, IAEA’s board of governors passed a resolution that called upon Iran “to fully cooperate with the Agency and decided that it is essential and urgent in order to ensure verification of the non-diversion of nuclear material that Iran act to fulfill its legal obligations.” 

In a joint statement with France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the U.S. State Department issued a statement supporting the IAEA’s resolution.

“Despite the Director General’s continued efforts to engage in a substantive dialogue, Iran has not provided the information or cooperation needed to address them and has instead responded to the Board’s calls with threats and provocations,” the State Department’s statement said. “With this new resolution, the IAEA Board renews its statement that it is essential and urgent that Iran resolve these issues, as well as its support for the Agency’s efforts to engage Iran to that end.”

The IRNA said that Tehran’s statement underlined that “the three European countries and the US are using Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities as an excuse to advance their illegitimate measures, undermining the credibility and independence of the IAEA and disrupting the constructive collaboration between Iran and the agency.”

Iran, according to IAEA, now has an increasing stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium, which is not far off from the 90% required to build a nuclear weapon.

“The steps are being taken to protect the country’s interests and further develop the peaceful nuclear energy,” Iran’s statement said, according to IRNA. Iran has also repeatedly denied building a nuclear bomb at its facilities.