China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any country in the world and is also believed to have deployed a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime&nbsp;for the first time, said a report, on Monday (Jun 17). Meanwhile, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg&nbsp;said that the alliance is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons amid threats from China and Russia.&nbsp;

<h2>China ramps up nuclear arsenal</h2>

The estimated size of China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its annual report.&nbsp;

As of January 2024, around 2,100 of the deployed warheads were placed in a state of “high operational alert” on ballistic missiles and while nearly all of them belonged to Russia or the United States; China, for the first time is believed to have some warheads in this state too, according to the report.

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The group which tracks global security and arms control also found that China may be deploying a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime and will have&nbsp;as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either Russia or the US by 2030.&nbsp;

However, the report noted, that Beijing’s stockpile of nuclear warheads is expected to remain much smaller compared to that of Moscow and Washington.&nbsp;

“China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and an associate senior fellow with SIPRI.&nbsp;

However, he noted that Beijing is not alone as “in nearly all of the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces.”

The nine nuclear-armed states – the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel – continued to expand their nuclear arsenals last year, said SIPRI.&nbsp;

There are reportedly a total of 12,121 warheads in the global inventory out of which about 9,585 were in military stockpiles for potential use.&nbsp;

Around 3,904 of those warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft, according to the new SIPRI report.&nbsp;

<h2>India focused on longer-range weapons</h2>

The report noted that India “slightly expanded” its nuclear arsenal in 2023 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zelensky-says-will-hold-peace-talks-tomorrow-if-russia-leaves-ukrainian-territories-732414">Zelensky says will hold peace talks ‘tomorrow’ if Russia leaves Ukrainian territories</a>

SIPRI also found that India “appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China.”

As of January 2024, India reportedly has 172 nuclear warheads, up from 164 last year, but has deployed none.&nbsp;

<h2>NATO to put nuclear weapons on standby</h2>

In an interview with Britain’s Telegraph, on Monday, Stoltenberg said that the US-led alliance is in talks about taking more nuclear weapons out of storage and placing them on standby.&nbsp;

“I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads…but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Stoltenberg.&nbsp;

He added, “Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance.”&nbsp;

The NATO chief also noted that while the alliance’s aim is “a world without nuclear weapons,” as long as such weapons exist, it will remain a “nuclear alliance”.&nbsp;

He added that a “world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world.”

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any country in the world and is also believed to have deployed a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime for the first time, said a report, on Monday (Jun 17).

China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any country in the world and is also believed to have deployed a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime for the first time, said a report, on Monday (Jun 17). Meanwhile, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons amid threats from China and Russia. China ramps up nuclear arsenal The estimated size of China’s nuclear arsenal increased from 410 warheads in January 2023 to 500 in January 2024, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its annual report. As of January 2024, around 2,100 of the deployed warheads were placed in a state of “high operational alert” on ballistic missiles and while nearly all of them belonged to Russia or the United States; China, for the first time is believed to have some warheads in this state too, according to the report. The group which tracks global security and arms control also found that China may be deploying a small number of warheads on missiles during peacetime and will have as many intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) as either Russia or the US by 2030. However, the report noted, that Beijing’s stockpile of nuclear warheads is expected to remain much smaller compared to that of Moscow and Washington. “China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any other country,” said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and an associate senior fellow with SIPRI. However, he noted that Beijing is not alone as “in nearly all of the nuclear-armed states there are either plans or a significant push to increase nuclear forces.” The nine nuclear-armed states – the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and Israel – continued to expand their nuclear arsenals last year, said SIPRI. There are reportedly a total of 12,121 warheads in the global inventory out of which about 9,585 were in military stockpiles for potential use. Around 3,904 of those warheads were deployed with missiles and aircraft, according to the new SIPRI report. India focused on longer-range weapons The report noted that India “slightly expanded” its nuclear arsenal in 2023 and continued to develop new types of nuclear delivery systems. Also Read | Zelensky says will hold peace talks ‘tomorrow’ if Russia leaves Ukrainian territories SIPRI also found that India “appears to be placing growing emphasis on longer-range weapons, including those capable of reaching targets throughout China.” As of January 2024, India reportedly has 172 nuclear warheads, up from 164 last year, but has deployed none. NATO to put nuclear weapons on standby In an interview with Britain’s Telegraph, on Monday, Stoltenberg said that the US-led alliance is in talks about taking more nuclear weapons out of storage and placing them on standby. “I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads…but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Stoltenberg. He added, “Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance.” The NATO chief also noted that while the alliance’s aim is “a world without nuclear weapons,” as long as such weapons exist, it will remain a “nuclear alliance”. He added that a “world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world.” (With inputs from agencies)

China is expanding its nuclear arsenal faster than any country: Report

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough.

American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East. Allowing Tehran to get the bomb, Senator Robert Menendez, the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,&nbsp;predicted&nbsp;in March 2020, could “set off a dangerous arms race in the region.” In an interview in December, President-elect Joe Biden&nbsp;cautioned&nbsp;that if Iran went nuclear, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt might too, “and the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability.”

Such statements are so familiar that it’s easy to overlook their artifice. In warning that Iran could turn the Middle East nuclear, American politicians imply that the region is nuclear-free now. But it’s not. Israel already has nuclear weapons. You’d just never know it from America’s leaders, who have spent the last half-century feigning ignorance. This deceit undercuts America’s supposed commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, and it distorts the American debate over Iran. It’s time for the Biden administration to tell the truth.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-vows-to-israel-no-nuclear-weapon-for-iran-on-my-watch-394580">Biden vows to Israel: No nuclear weapon for Iran on my watch</a>

American officials began hiding the truth about Israeli nuclear weapons after Israeli leaders hid the truth from them. In the early 1960s, writes Avner Cohen in his book “The Worst Kept Secret,” Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion repeatedly told President John F. Kennedy that the reactor Israel was building in the desert town of Dimona “was for peaceful purposes only.” When the United States sent inspectors to the site, the Israelis&nbsp;concocted&nbsp;an elaborate ruse, which included building fake walls to conceal the elevators that led to an underground reprocessing plant. By decade’s end, the die was cast. The C.I.A. concluded that Israel already possessed nuclear warheads.

So Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir&nbsp;hatched&nbsp;a deal. Neither Israel nor the United States would acknowledge that Israel had nuclear weapons, and Washington would not pressure Israel to submit them to international oversight. For 50 years now, American presidents have abided by the bargain. Scholars&nbsp;believe&nbsp;that when Israel tested a nuclear weapon in the Indian Ocean in 1979, the Carter administration covered it up. In 2009, when a journalist&nbsp;asked&nbsp;Barack Obama if he knew of “any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons,” Mr Obama responded, “I don’t want to speculate.”

Feigning ignorance about Israeli nuclear weapons makes a mockery of America’s efforts at nonproliferation. Mr Obama vowed to pursue a nuclear-free world. Yet to prevent public discussion of Israel’s arsenal, his administration&nbsp;helped squelch&nbsp;a United Nations conference on a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The Biden administration continues to impose punishing sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force its government to accept inspections&nbsp;more stringent&nbsp;than those required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Meanwhile, Israel, which has never signed the NPT, permits no inspections at all.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-says-irans-raisi-extreme-committed-to-nuclear-programme-392707">Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme</a>

This hypocrisy leads many around the world to smirk when American diplomats claim to be defending the “rules-based order.” It also empowers those Iranians who claim Tehran has the right to match its regional rival.

Finally, the American government’s deceptive silence prevents a more honest debate at home about the dangers an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose. American politicians&nbsp;sometimes&nbsp;say&nbsp;an Iranian bomb would pose an “existential” threat to Israel. That’s a dubious claim, given that Israel possesses a nuclear deterrent it can&nbsp;deploy on air, land and sea. But many Americans find the claim plausible because,&nbsp;according to recent polling&nbsp;conducted by Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland, barely 50 per cent know Israel has nuclear weapons. A higher percentage thinks Tehran has the bomb.

Even if an Iranian bomb wouldn’t existentially threaten Israel, the United States should still work to forestall one diplomatically. With&nbsp;negotiations with Tehran at risk of collapse, the Biden administration should commit to lifting the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy in return for verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear capacity. But if those efforts fail — and the Biden administration faces pressure to wage war rather than allow Iran to gain the capacity to build a nuclear weapon — it’s crucial that Americans make an informed decision about the risk a nuclear Iran poses to America’s closest ally in the Middle East. That’s harder when the American government never publicly admits that Israel has the means to deter a nuclear attack.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-pm-bennett-weighs-against-nuclear-talks-with-irans-hangmen-regime-392766">Israel PM Bennett weighs against nuclear talks with Iran's 'hangmen regime'</a>

The Biden administration is not going to force Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. But that doesn’t mean it must undermine America’s global credibility and deceive its people by denying reality. Perhaps a more honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free Middle East. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be bracing, after a half-century of lying by omission, simply to hear America’s leaders tell the truth.

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough. American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East.

This charade doesn’t leave anyone safer. It’s gone on long enough. American politicians often warn that if Iran obtains a nuclear weapon, it will spark a nuclear stampede across the Middle East. Allowing Tehran to get the bomb, Senator Robert Menendez, the current chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, predicted in March 2020, could “set off a dangerous arms race in the region.” In an interview in December, President-elect Joe Biden cautioned that if Iran went nuclear, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt might too, “and the last goddamn thing we need in that part of the world is a buildup of nuclear capability.” Such statements are so familiar that it’s easy to overlook their artifice. In warning that Iran could turn the Middle East nuclear, American politicians imply that the region is nuclear-free now. But it’s not. Israel already has nuclear weapons. You’d just never know it from America’s leaders, who have spent the last half-century feigning ignorance. This deceit undercuts America’s supposed commitment to nuclear nonproliferation, and it distorts the American debate over Iran. It’s time for the Biden administration to tell the truth. Also read | Biden vows to Israel: No nuclear weapon for Iran on my watch American officials began hiding the truth about Israeli nuclear weapons after Israeli leaders hid the truth from them. In the early 1960s, writes Avner Cohen in his book “The Worst Kept Secret,” Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion repeatedly told President John F. Kennedy that the reactor Israel was building in the desert town of Dimona “was for peaceful purposes only.” When the United States sent inspectors to the site, the Israelis concocted an elaborate ruse, which included building fake walls to conceal the elevators that led to an underground reprocessing plant. By decade’s end, the die was cast. The C.I.A. concluded that Israel already possessed nuclear warheads. So Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Golda Meir hatched a deal. Neither Israel nor the United States would acknowledge that Israel had nuclear weapons, and Washington would not pressure Israel to submit them to international oversight. For 50 years now, American presidents have abided by the bargain. Scholars believe that when Israel tested a nuclear weapon in the Indian Ocean in 1979, the Carter administration covered it up. In 2009, when a journalist asked Barack Obama if he knew of “any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons,” Mr Obama responded, “I don’t want to speculate.” Feigning ignorance about Israeli nuclear weapons makes a mockery of America’s efforts at nonproliferation. Mr Obama vowed to pursue a nuclear-free world. Yet to prevent public discussion of Israel’s arsenal, his administration helped squelch a United Nations conference on a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The Biden administration continues to impose punishing sanctions on Iran in an attempt to force its government to accept inspections more stringent than those required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Meanwhile, Israel, which has never signed the NPT, permits no inspections at all. Also read | Israel says Iran's Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programme This hypocrisy leads many around the world to smirk when American diplomats claim to be defending the “rules-based order.” It also empowers those Iranians who claim Tehran has the right to match its regional rival. Finally, the American government’s deceptive silence prevents a more honest debate at home about the dangers an Iranian nuclear weapon would pose. American politicians sometimes say an Iranian bomb would pose an “existential” threat to Israel. That’s a dubious claim, given that Israel possesses a nuclear deterrent it can deploy on air, land and sea. But many Americans find the claim plausible because, according to recent polling conducted by Shibley Telhami of the University of Maryland, barely 50 per cent know Israel has nuclear weapons. A higher percentage thinks Tehran has the bomb. Even if an Iranian bomb wouldn’t existentially threaten Israel, the United States should still work to forestall one diplomatically. With negotiations with Tehran at risk of collapse, the Biden administration should commit to lifting the sanctions that are crippling Iran’s economy in return for verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear capacity. But if those efforts fail — and the Biden administration faces pressure to wage war rather than allow Iran to gain the capacity to build a nuclear weapon — it’s crucial that Americans make an informed decision about the risk a nuclear Iran poses to America’s closest ally in the Middle East. That’s harder when the American government never publicly admits that Israel has the means to deter a nuclear attack. Also read | Israel PM Bennett weighs against nuclear talks with Iran's 'hangmen regime' The Biden administration is not going to force Israel to give up its nuclear weapons. But that doesn’t mean it must undermine America’s global credibility and deceive its people by denying reality. Perhaps a more honest American discussion of Israel’s nuclear arsenal will breathe new life into the distant dream of a nuclear-free Middle East. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be bracing, after a half-century of lying by omission, simply to hear America’s leaders tell the truth.

America needs to start telling the truth about Israel’s nukes

&nbsp;

 
Despite &nbsp;Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nuclear-fuel-removed-from-crippled-japan-plant-210573">using nuclear plants</a> to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy. The Court decision gave power to the people and the matter appears to remain static.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/74-earthquake-hits-japan-followed-by-tsunami-9157">2011 Fukushima nuclear accident</a> followed a catastrophic tsunami, shutting down all nuclear power stations in Japan, many of which are still closed. 
&nbsp; 
It was the decision of a lower court that was overruled by the Hiroshima High Court in March, for it would have allowed the reactor at the Ikata nuclear plant in western Japan to resume operations.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-approves-restarting-nuclear-reactor-closest-to-epicentre-of-2011-quake-264845">Japan approves restarting nuclear reactor closest to epicentre of 2011 quake</a>

 
Shikoku Electric Power, the plant's operator intends to appeal the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/japan-court-acquits-energy-bosses-over-fukushima-disaster-250636">high court's ruling</a> as it wanted to resume work at the reactor which had been halted for routine inspections.

<img alt="Fukushima Daiichi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0ec7e84-0b76-434b-a2b3-36af7f9a66a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202020-01-20T182011.911.jpg" /> 
[&nbsp;Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (Courtesy: AFP) ] 
 
Failure to properly evaluate the risks posed by a local volcano and seismic faultlines became a strong case after a complaint was lodged by residents of a neighbouring region. 
 
The lower court ruling that paved the way for the reactor to resume functions was revoked by presiding high court judge Kazukate Mori. 
 
Kazukate Mori, the judge presiding over Hiroshima High Court, revoked the lower court ruling which allowed the reactor to resume functioning. 
 
Mori argued that it was not logical to assume that volcanic eruptions can be predicted far in advance, as done so under national standards for operating nuclear reactors; and safety assessments had been insufficient to resume operations. 
 
"There is a fault line within two kilometres from the nuclear plant but Shikoku Electric has not conducted thorough surveys, and the way the Nuclear Regulation Authority reached its assessment that there was no problem contained errors and inadequacies," the judge remarked. 
 
The ruling was criticised by Shikoku Electric and the scientific merit of the firm's argument was emphasized, surprising no one, deemed it safe to operate the reactor. 
 
The utility issued a statement saying, "After closely examining the decision, we will file a petition of objection so that the injunction will be cancelled as soon as possible."

Despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of using nuclear plants to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy.

Despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of using nuclear plants to power the world's third-largest economy, the Japanese public has remained staunchly against atomic energy. The Court decision gave power to the people and the matter appears to remain static. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident followed a catastrophic tsunami, shutting down all nuclear power stations in Japan, many of which are still closed. It was the decision of a lower court that was overruled by the Hiroshima High Court in March, for it would have allowed the reactor at the Ikata nuclear plant in western Japan to resume operations. Also Read: Japan approves restarting nuclear reactor closest to epicentre of 2011 quake Shikoku Electric Power, the plant's operator intends to appeal the high court's ruling as it wanted to resume work at the reactor which had been halted for routine inspections. [ Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (Courtesy: AFP) ] Failure to properly evaluate the risks posed by a local volcano and seismic faultlines became a strong case after a complaint was lodged by residents of a neighbouring region. The lower court ruling that paved the way for the reactor to resume functions was revoked by presiding high court judge Kazukate Mori. Kazukate Mori, the judge presiding over Hiroshima High Court, revoked the lower court ruling which allowed the reactor to resume functioning. Mori argued that it was not logical to assume that volcanic eruptions can be predicted far in advance, as done so under national standards for operating nuclear reactors; and safety assessments had been insufficient to resume operations. "There is a fault line within two kilometres from the nuclear plant but Shikoku Electric has not conducted thorough surveys, and the way the Nuclear Regulation Authority reached its assessment that there was no problem contained errors and inadequacies," the judge remarked. The ruling was criticised by Shikoku Electric and the scientific merit of the firm's argument was emphasized, surprising no one, deemed it safe to operate the reactor. The utility issued a statement saying, "After closely examining the decision, we will file a petition of objection so that the injunction will be cancelled as soon as possible."

Hiroshima High Court overrules go-ahead for restarting nuclear plant near fault line

Iranian authorities showcased what they said were 114 advances in their domestic nuclear technology industry achieved over the course of a year despite the United States decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful and falls well within the confines of the historic deal, which saw Iran limit its atomic program in exchange for a mild alleviation of international economic sanctions.

This year, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's (AEOI) tally of achievements – which outnumbered the previous year by 31 – coincided with Iranian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-president-says-us-leader-of-world-terrorism-after-trump-designated-republican-guard-as-terrorists-209135">President Hassan Rouhani</a>'s announcement that he would authorize the installation of advanced IR-6 centrifuges.&nbsp;

"The US policy of harassment cannot hinder our progress in the field of nuclear technology," Ali Akbar Saheli, the head of the AEOI, said in a ceremony this week.&nbsp;

Notable advances in the field included new control systems to monitor nuclear processes; two nuclear medicines, including Yttrium-90, which is used in radiation therapy to treat cancer; a medical linear accelerator, which tailor x-rays to a patient's needs and the production of oxygen-18, which can be used in the medical industry in things like positron-emission tomography (PET scans).&nbsp;

Speaking to Efe, Ali Asghar Zarean, Salehi's special advisor, said it had taken four years of investigation to be able to produce oxygen-18, which could now be commercialized.&nbsp;

"Production capacity is around 100 kilograms (220 pounds) a year. We are in the first stage producing about 50 kilos but our annual domestic consumption is very few kilos, for that reason we're moving towards exportation.&nbsp;

Iran was also ready to export its centrifuges, he said.&nbsp;

According to Zarean, the AEOI has managed to domestically design and produce "whatever kind" of centrifuge for use in various industries, like medicine.&nbsp;

Iran was forced to produce the machines domestically because of sanctions.&nbsp;

This week a network of 20 IR-6 centrifuges was installed at the Natanz nuclear plant in central Iran.

Each IR-6 centrifuge is eight times as powerful than the more primitive IR-1 designs, according to Zarean.&nbsp;

Rouhani used this achievement to level a warning at the US.&nbsp;

"If you were scared about the out IR-1 centrifuges in the past, you should know now that we are launching a network of 20 IR-6 models and that, if you keep up the pressure, we will unveil a network of IR-8 centrifuges in the near future," he said.&nbsp;

The use of IR-8 centrifuges in Iran is prohibited by the 2015 nuclear deal.&nbsp;

The accord was signed by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States) plus Germany.&nbsp;

However, US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the framework and to reimpose – and, indeed strengthen – sanctions on Iran has left the deal on shaky ground.&nbsp;

Trump's administration said the deal would only delay Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed Iran's compliance to with the accord 14 times.&nbsp;

The nuclear deal meant Iran had to dismantle or remodel certain atomic plants and temporary limit investigations that used nuclear material or technology, such as its uranium enrichment program.&nbsp;

Salehi said all of Iran's achievements in 2018 were in line with the IAEA guidelines.&nbsp;

Zarean warned, however, that Iran would crank up its full atomic program once again should authorities ever judge that the remaining signatories of the 2015 pact were failing to uphold their end of the deal.&nbsp;

Iranian authorities showcased what they said were 114 advances in their domestic nuclear technology industry achieved over the course of a year despite the United States decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Iranian authorities showcased what they said were 114 advances in their domestic nuclear technology industry achieved over the course of a year despite the United States decision to unilaterally withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful and falls well within the confines of the historic deal, which saw Iran limit its atomic program in exchange for a mild alleviation of international economic sanctions. This year, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's (AEOI) tally of achievements – which outnumbered the previous year by 31 – coincided with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's announcement that he would authorize the installation of advanced IR-6 centrifuges. "The US policy of harassment cannot hinder our progress in the field of nuclear technology," Ali Akbar Saheli, the head of the AEOI, said in a ceremony this week. Notable advances in the field included new control systems to monitor nuclear processes; two nuclear medicines, including Yttrium-90, which is used in radiation therapy to treat cancer; a medical linear accelerator, which tailor x-rays to a patient's needs and the production of oxygen-18, which can be used in the medical industry in things like positron-emission tomography (PET scans). Speaking to Efe, Ali Asghar Zarean, Salehi's special advisor, said it had taken four years of investigation to be able to produce oxygen-18, which could now be commercialized. "Production capacity is around 100 kilograms (220 pounds) a year. We are in the first stage producing about 50 kilos but our annual domestic consumption is very few kilos, for that reason we're moving towards exportation. Iran was also ready to export its centrifuges, he said. According to Zarean, the AEOI has managed to domestically design and produce "whatever kind" of centrifuge for use in various industries, like medicine. Iran was forced to produce the machines domestically because of sanctions. This week a network of 20 IR-6 centrifuges was installed at the Natanz nuclear plant in central Iran. Each IR-6 centrifuge is eight times as powerful than the more primitive IR-1 designs, according to Zarean. Rouhani used this achievement to level a warning at the US. "If you were scared about the out IR-1 centrifuges in the past, you should know now that we are launching a network of 20 IR-6 models and that, if you keep up the pressure, we will unveil a network of IR-8 centrifuges in the near future," he said. The use of IR-8 centrifuges in Iran is prohibited by the 2015 nuclear deal. The accord was signed by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States) plus Germany. However, US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the framework and to reimpose – and, indeed strengthen – sanctions on Iran has left the deal on shaky ground. Trump's administration said the deal would only delay Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons, despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed Iran's compliance to with the accord 14 times. The nuclear deal meant Iran had to dismantle or remodel certain atomic plants and temporary limit investigations that used nuclear material or technology, such as its uranium enrichment program. Salehi said all of Iran's achievements in 2018 were in line with the IAEA guidelines. Zarean warned, however, that Iran would crank up its full atomic program once again should authorities ever judge that the remaining signatories of the 2015 pact were failing to uphold their end of the deal.

Iran shows off nuclear advances despite US sanctions; insists its nuclear program is peaceful

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