Iranian President Unveils Third Generation Centrifuges

Iran celebrated the Fourth National Nuclear Festival in Teheran on 9 April, attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, along with key state and military officials. During the ceremony at Teheran's Milad Tower, Ahmadinejad unveiled the first model of the third generation of machines for uranium enrichment, the so-called third generation centrifuges. The first model of the fuel for Teheran Research Reactor was also unveiled.

Iranian Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television (IRINN) in Persian began a live relay of a speech by Iranian President Ahmadinejad at a ceremony at Teheran's Milad Tower to celebrate the country's latest achievement in the nuclear sphere. Ahmadinejad said that the third generation of centrifuges is twice as powerful as the existing ones. He also talked in depth about Iran's negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over the supply of fuel for Teheran's nuclear reactor and the 'various Western propaganda' over this issue.

Ahmadinejad said that today Iran has reached a point where no power can stop its progress and deprive the country of using nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Benefits of Nuclear Energy
The Iranian president also talked about the benefits of nuclear energy. He said nuclear energy is a clean, eco-friendly, and cheap energy, which is a good substitute for fossil fuels. Ahmadinejad said that from the beginning the "world powers" monopolized nuclear energy and stopped this energy from being used by other countries for peaceful purposes. Ahmadinejad said: 'The first countries to acquire nuclear energy did so in a bid to dominate other nations and for military purposes. Nuclear energy is a divine blessing. However, from the very beginning the arrogant and selfish countries and those who want to dominate other world countries have adopted a negative and inhumane approach toward this clean and useful energy. The president talked in depth about the reasons behind the nuclear arms races and talked about the reasons why attempts to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons have failed.'

Ahmadinejad asserted: 'For the past 60 years, they have been saying that they want to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons. But all the policies they have adopted have helped the spread of these weapons. Is it possible for one to possess nuclear weapons and at the same time invite others to dispose of their own? This is impossible. The stockpiling of nuclear weapons is the biggest incentive behind the spread of nuclear weapons.'

Era of Nuclear Weapons
Ahmadinejad said that those who are trying to acquire nuclear weapons are 'politically retarded' because they will never be able to use such weapons and stressed that the era of nuclear weapons has come to an end.

He also referred to US President Barack Obama's comments, in which he had said that the United States would not use nuclear weapons against any non-nuclear country or those countries who are committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and described these comments as a lie, saying: 'Did Japan possess nuclear weapons when you attacked it? Did the Iraqi nation posses nuclear weapons when you used depleted uranium against it? Which one of your promises have you fulfilled which makes it necessary for you to make new promises? Who will believe your promises? No one will.'

Ahmadinejad said that today is the era of culture, rationality, and possession of nuclear weapons does not bring power to any country. President Ahmadinejad reiterated that as far as Iran's nuclear issue is concerned, the country is prepared to interact and negotiate with anyone, but at the same time he stressed that no country will be able to block the country's nuclear progress.