Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Reza Aqazadeh said on Tuesday that Iran's plan was not installation and launch of just 3,000 centrifuges at Natanz nuclear site. "We have plans to install 50,000 centrifuges," he told IRNA in an interview.
Asked about reasons he had not declared inauguration of 3,000 centrifuges at a ceremony held at Natanz on Monday to mark National Day of Nuclear Technology, he said he was concerned that mentioning numbers would cause ambiguity that Iran has plans for 3,000 centrifuges only.
"This is while we have made investment and planning for 50,000 centrifuges at Natanz. "When we say we have entered industrial scale enrichment, (it means) there is no way back. Installation of centrifuges will continue steadily to reach a stage where all the 50,000 centrifuges are launched," he stated.
"I was concerned the foreign media would misuse the issue and pretend that Iran's nuclear program would end up in installation of just 3,000 centrifuges," the AEOI head said.
On future plans of his organization, Aqazadeh added, "The AEOI intends to develop, optimize and update nuclear technology in the future."
In response to a question on an international tender for construction of two 1,000MW power plants, he said, "We will announce the tender for the two power plants within the coming days." He added that Iran owed its progress on peaceful nuclear energy to the guidelines of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
"Sometimes it was very difficult to make a decision but the Supreme Leader adopted wise decisions on such circumstances."
