European and American diplomats have recently disclosed that Iran had begun testing its new centrifuges known as IR-2 and that it had introduced small amounts of uranium gas into the centrifuges. The new class of centrifuges would possibly quadruple Iran’s enrichment capabilities1. Gregory Schulte, the US ambassador to the IAEA warned Iran against pursuing more advanced uranium-enrichment technology noting that “any Iranian attempt at a more advanced centrifuge would be an escalation of Iran's ongoing non-compliance with its obligation to suspend all enrichment-related activities2.”

In other developments, Iran reportedly provided the IAEA with answers to several questions about traces of highly enriched uranium (HEU) found at Tehran’s technical university and physics research centre3.

Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Gholamreza Ansari disclosed that Tehran had started building a second atomic power plant at Karkhovin in the south-western Khuzestan province. Iran plans to build a 360 megawatt plant at the site4.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Iranian missile launches raised suspicions about the real nature of Iran's atomic programme5. While Russia and China have for long opposed a third round of sanctions, Moscow however recently agreed to support the US-led proposal for a third sanctions resolution.

• 1. David E. Sanger and William J. Broad, “Iran Is Reported to Test New Centrifuges to Make Atomic Fuel,” The New York Times, February 8, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/washington/08nukes.html?sq=internation... Mark Heinrich, “Iran tests advanced centrifuges with gas: diplomats,” Washington Post, February 13, 2008, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR200802...
• 2. “US warns Iran over nuclear centrifuges,” AFP, February 8, 2008, at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5glHTDq4tJw6qHxGaqQcQsGVn2KoA
• 3. Mark Heinrich, “Iran clarifies bomb-grade uranium traces to IAEA,” Reuters, February 12, 2008, at http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USL1226026220080212
• 4. “Iran starts second atomic power plant,” Reuters, February 8, 2008, at http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-31834520080208
• 5. “Russia criticises Iran's defiance,” BBC, February 13, 2008, at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7244036.stm