Iran starts injecting UF6 into domestically-made IR-8 centrifuges: AEOI

Iran starts injecting UF6 into domestically-made IR-8 centrifuges: AEOI
PRESSTV Iran Sat Jan 28, 2017 4:42PM
http://presstv.com/Detail/2017/01/28/508140/Iran-AEOI-centrifuge-enrichment-IR8-UF6

Iran has started injecting uranium hexafluoride (UF6) into advanced
domestically-manufactured centrifuge machines, known as IR-8, to launch an
important phase of the country’s research and development plans, the Atomic
Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says.

The UF6 injection into the IR-8 machines began on Saturday thanks to great
and constant efforts made by the AEOI experts and in line with the Islamic
Republic’s plan to proceed with its peaceful nuclear activities, the
organization said in a statement.

It added that this significant step is taken in accordance with the
guidelines of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei
on the continuation of research and development plans without any
restriction and based on Iran’s commitments stipulated in the 2015 nuclear
agreement between Tehran and the P5+1 group of countries, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to the statement, the IR-8 centrifuge machines are among the most
advanced machines which have been completely designed and manufactured by
the Iranian scientists.

Iran has successfully conducted all mechanical tests of the machines over
the past three years, the AEOI said, adding that the IR-8 machines have the
capacity to enrich uranium some 20 times more than the IR-1 ones.

The AEOI once again emphasizes that based on the JCPOA, Iran’s research and
development plans will be continued without any halt in all sectors of
peaceful nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment, in order to
supply fuel for research reactors, the statement read.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -
the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus Germany – signed
the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the nuclear agreement, Iran undertook to put limitations on its
nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions
imposed against Tehran.

Iran has, however, denied media reports suggesting that it has agreed to
reduce its stockpile of uranium enriched to up to 3.67 percent purity to
less than 300 kilograms as part of the JCPOA.