Iran installs cascades of centrifuges, US calls it a nuclear escalation

The United Nations' atomic watchdog reported that Iran installed and put into operation new series of advanced centrifuges. In addition, as the AP learned, it plans to install others in the coming weeks.

This comes amidst growing tensions over the country's nuclear program. The United States maintained that Iranian policy is moving towards nuclear escalation.

In that sense, the AP explained that the launch of new centrifuges "further advances Iran’s nuclear program, which already enriches uranium at near-weapons-grade levels and boasts a stockpile enough for several nuclear bombs if it chose to pursue them."

Likewise, the outlet assured that inspectors verified that Iran had begun to introduce uranium into three cascades of advanced centrifuges. "Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to more quickly enrich the uranium," the AP detailed.

Additionally, according to an AP source, Iran has been enriching uranium in those cascades to 2% purity. "Iran already enriches uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%."