International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 8 Apr 2008

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad toured the Natanz nuclear facility on Tuesday and boasted that the regime has started installing 6,000 centrifuges at the site to accelerate its uranium enrichment activities.

The US immediately slammed the Iranian leader's announcement as part of Tehran's policy of defying international sanctions aimed at stopping its nuclear program from being able to produce atomic weapons.

"Today's announcement reflects the Iranian leadership's continuing violation of international obligations and refusal to address international concerns," said the US envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Gregory Schulte.

"This approach has not brought Iran international respect or accolade but rather increasing censure and sanction," Schulte said in a statement. "Negotiation, not escalation, provides the best path to international respect and regional security."

"Iran's announcement today adds to the deep level of uncertainty and distrust of Iran's intentions," added an anonymous British envoy.

Currently Iran has 3,000 working centrifuges in the unsupervised Natanz plant. The UN has ordered three rounds of sanctions against Teheran for its refusal to stop its nuclear program.

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