Iran has up to 6,000 enrichment centrifuges

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TEHRAN, July 26 (AFP): Iran now has between 5,000 and 6,000 uranium-enriching centrifuges, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying on Saturday, confirming that the country has expanded its contested nuclear work.

"Today they (the West) have agreed that the existing 5,000 to 6,000 centrifuges do not increase and that there is no problem if this number of centrifuges work," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by state radio. Ahmadinejad said in April that Iran was working to install 6,000 more centrifuges at an underground hall in a plant in Natanz, where it already had 3,000 running.

World powers, seeking to resolve the nuclear standoff with Iran, have offered to start pre-negotiations during which Tehran would add no more uranium-enriching centrifuges and in return face no further sanctions.