Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said on Tuesday that Iran has built a new generation of centrifuges, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Our scientists have built a new generation of centrifuges and a chain consisting of ten of these centrifuges are being tested ... and these chains will be developed to larger samples," Salehi was quoted as saying.

"The separating capability of the existing centrifuges are 1.2 (but) the new kinds enjoy the separation power of 5 and we hope to enhance it to 10," said Salehi.

Iran "now possesses the complete cycle of nuclear fuel and from now on we will concentrate on the research and development dimensions to increase the quality of our products," he added.

The United States and its allies have accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian nuclear program, while Iran has denied the U.S. charges and insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2009)