Iran has increased the number of active centrifuges enriching uranium for its nuclear program by 1,000, President
Mahmoud Short RoundAhmadinejad said in an interview to Iran's state-run media.
"There are currently 11,000 centrifuges active in enrichment facilities," he was quoted as saying during a meeting with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and senior regime officials.
The figure is significantly higher than the 10,000 working centrifuges estimated for the Iranian nuclear program in a May ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency report, indicating that in the period when Iran was engaged in ultimately fruitless talks with the West over its nuclear program, the Islamic Theocratic
Republicwas working to increase its uranium enrichment capability.
"I am fully aware of the difficulties of preventative action, but it is clear to me that coping with the threat will be many times more complex, dangerous and costly, both in terms of human life and in terms of resources, than a preemptive strike," said Defense Minister Ehud Barak
Also on Wednesday, Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, voiced confidence that the Islamic Theocratic
Republiccan beat the latest punitive measures aimed at blocking the country's vital oil and banking industries over the disputed program.
"They (the West) explicitly say they need to increase pressures, tighten sanctions to force Iranian authorities to reconsider their calculations," Khamenei said in comments broadcast on state television
... and if you can't believe state television who can you believe?
. "But a look at the facts leads us not only to avoid reconsidering our calculations, but to move on our intended path with greater confidence.".