Iran showcases new advanced nuclear centrifuges to the world on its ‘Nuclear Day’

On Saturday, Iran announced that it has begun with testing its new advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges, in violation of its commitments under the unsettled 2015 nuclear agreement, just days after talks to save it and bring back USA into the agreement began.

When fully operational, Iran's IR-9 centrifuge would be able to separate uranium isotopes more rapidly than the existing centrifuges, allowing for faster uranium enrichment. The announcement was made on Iran's 15th annual "," which was broadcasted on state television.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani while in Tehran used a video link to launch numerous projects across Iran, which were broadcast live on national television, as well as an exhibition of 133 technical advancements with civilian and medical applications.

The television broadcast did not show photographs of the cascades, but instead broadcast a link with engineers at the plant site, who said that after receiving the order from Rouhani, they had added uranium hexafluoride gas to the cascades.

The nation announced the launch of a chain of 164 IR-6 centrifuges along with information about the development of IR-8 centrifuges.

Former US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal back in 2018, he had accused Iran of violating the agreement and had gone for a "maximum-pressure" campaign of increased US sanctions and other harsh measures.

However, the new US President Joe Biden had entered office with plans to get US back to the Iran deal, even saying that it was a top priority to bring Iran's nuclear programme back under international control.

The talks in Vienna are aimed at not only repealing Trump's punishing economic sanctions, but also getting Iran back into compliance after it reacted by withdrawing from some of its own commitments.

“We don’t owe them, they owe us,” the Iranian president saidin his televised address while chastising world powers and the International Atomic Energy Agency for failing to assist Iran in establishing a peaceful nuclear programme.