Western diplomats say that Iran has begun to test a new, advanced type of centrifuge, used to enrich uranium as part of the process to develop nuclear energy.
 
The 3,000 centrifuges Iran brought online last November were “P-1” models, which operate at relatively low levels of efficiency. Diplomats said Wednesday that situation has changed; Iranian scientists at the Natanz nuclear facility have begun testing centrifuges modeled after the “P-2” types which are capable of enriching uranium at a rate 2-3 times faster than the P-1.