Iran wants 10 nuke reactors ‘to produce electricity’

In press conference, Tehran government spokesman says his country needs at least 3,000 centrifuges for production of nuclear fuel

Dudi Cohen |Published: 01.15.07 , 13:07

Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham gave a press conference Monday in which he responded to the question of what operations were taking place at the Natanz nuclear facility.

"We are moving toward production of nuclear fuel which needs 3,000 centrifuges and more than that ... This plan is going ahead and is moving toward completion," Elham said.

Nuclear Threat

Iran: We'll install 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz

Associated Press

Several hours after UN Security Council votes to impose sanctions designed to stop nuclear efforts, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator says Islamic republic will push forward immediately with efforts to enrich uranium

Iran: We'll install 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz

Elham added, “Iran needs an electricity supply of 10 thousand megawatts by nuclear energy, and in order to supply that, we need 10 nuclear plants.”

Elham reiterated Iran’s official stance, saying that its nuclear activities were being supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

However, Elham repeated a threat, made by other Iranian officials in the past, to review its position over nuclear cooperation if pushed.

"We have not pulled out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But if they (the West) try to create obstacles then we will change our path as well," he said.

According to him, Iran was expected to announce further progress in its nuclear plans towards next month when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was expected to declare the successful completion of another step in the uranium enriching process.

In a direct response to the United Nations Security Council’s decision on 23 December to impose sanctions on the country, Iran said it would start installing 3,000 centrifuges, which experts say could make enough uranium for power plant fuel, or one bomb within a year.

But western diplomats and analysts had previously told Reuters Iran appeared not to have begun installing the machines for planned "industrial scale" output of enriched uranium.