Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    BUSHEHR, Iran, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said Wednesday that Iran has not changed its nuclear plan and will continue to install more centrifuges.

    "Our plan to install and run centrifuges is not based on political conditions. We have a plan and we will go ahead with it," Aghazadeh told a joint press conference with Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation.

The Iranian flag flies outside the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear plant. Iran was testing its long-delayed first nuclear power plant on Wednesday as it pressed ahead with its controversial atomic drive despite international sanctions. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    "Currently we have 6,000 running centrifuges in Natanz and we will increase our activities to install more by the end of next (Iranian) year (to March 2010)," Aghazadeh said, without specifying the amount of centrifuges to be increased.

    He said that the United States should face reality and accept living with "a nuclear Iran."

    He also said that Iran will announce a fresh nuclear achievement on April 9, and according to Iran's nuclear plan up to50,000 centrifuges will be installed in the next five years.

    Iran Wednesday launched a test run of its first nuclear power plant built by a Russian contractor near the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr.

    Aghazadeh and Kiriyenko were present at the site to inspect the trial run of the power plant.

    The 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, which had been scheduled for operation in 2007, is expected to be put in use by the end of this year after repeated delays.

Iran launches test run of first nuclear power plant

A file picture taken on April 3, 2007 shows a Russian technician working at the Bushehr nuclear power plant south of Tehran.  (Xinhua/AFP Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BUSHEHR, Iran, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Wednesday launched a test run of its first nuclear power plant which is being built by a Russian contractor near the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr.

    Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation, were present at the site to inspect the trial run of the power plant. Full story

No specific time for final launch of Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant: Russian company

    BUSHEHR, Iran, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- No exact time for the final launch of Iran's Bushehr atomic power plant could be specified, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation, said on Wednesday.

    Kiriyenko made the remarks at a joint press conference with Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, at the site where they were to inspect the trial run of the power plant. Full story