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25-02-09 Iran tests its first nuclear power plant

Iranian and Russian technicians are conducting a test run of Iran's first nuclear power plant,officials said Wednesday,a major step toward launching full operations at the facility,which has long raised concerns in the U.S. and its allies over Iran's nuclear ambitions.At the same time,Iran claimed another advance in its nuclear program:The number of centrifuges carrying out uranium enrichment had increased to 6,000,the country's nuclear chief said — up from 5,000 in November.His announcement was the latest defiance of United Nations' demands that Tehran suspend its enrichment program because of fears it could be used to produce material for a warhead.Iran denies it seeks to build a nuclear bomb,saying its nuclear program aims only to generate electricity.The power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr,built with Russian help,is meant to be the first in a number of reactors for an energy program.But the opening of the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor has long been delayed by construction and supply glitches.The United States for a time tried to dissuade Russia from helping the project.It's unclear when the reactor could be switched on.The tests,which began 10 days ago,"could take between four and seven month," the nuclear chief,Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh,told reporters at Bushehr.It was not known how long after the tests the reactor could start up