Western powers voice 'serious concern' at Iran centrifuge plan

The United States, Britain, France and Germany on Saturday expressed "serious concern" over Iran's plans to launch a series of new centrifuges for its nuclear programme, urging Tehran to reengage with the UN nuclear watchdog.

Iran's announcement came after the four Western powers brought a censure motion targeting the Islamic republic at the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The resolution was adopted on Thursday.

"We note with serious concern Iran's announcement...that, instead of responding to the resolution with cooperation, it plans to respond with further expansion of its nuclear programme in ways that have no credible peaceful rationale," the four nations said in a joint statement released by the US State Department.

"We expect Iran to reengage on the path of dialogue and cooperation with the agency."

On Friday, Iran said it would launch a "significant series of new and advanced centrifuges of various types".

Centrifuges are the machines that enrich uranium transformed into gas by rotating it at very high speed, increasing the proportion of fissile isotope material (U-235).

"At the same time, technical and safeguards cooperation with the IAEA will continue, as in the past" and within the framework of agreements made by Tehran, said a joint statement from Iran's foreign ministry and its atomic energy organization.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran's atomic energy organization, on Friday said the new measures are mostly related to uranium enrichment.

"We hope Iran will take the opportunity between now and that report to finally provide the information and cooperation needed to resolve these issues, so that the agency is able to provide assurance that Iran's programme remains exclusively peaceful," the Western powers said Saturday.