Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 4
By Khalid Kazimov- Trend:
Tehran will decommission a number of its centrifuges when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) submits its report on the possible military dimensions (PMDs) of Iran's nuclear program.
"In this phase, we will wait for the agency's report on PMDs. Considering the Islamic Republic of Iran's cooperation, the agency should submit its report and close Iran's case on PMDs within the next 40 days," a member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Mansour Haqiqatpour told Trend in an exclusive interview on Nov. 4.
Noting that Tehran was committed to implementing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal), he added that settling the PMD issue with the IAEA would accelerate the implementation of the nuclear deal.
According to a road-map agreed between Tehran and the IAEA on July 14, the international atomic body is expected to submit a report clarifying the past and present outstanding issues related to Iran's nuclear program by Dec. 15.
Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi also claimed Tehran has not removed any centrifuges from its nuclear sites as the government is waiting for the IAEA report on its nuclear activity.
"To remove the centrifuges, we need to wait for the atomic agency's report," Kamalvandi stated during a televised interview with Iran's state broadcaster on Nov. 3.
Earlier on Nov. 2 Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also denied that Tehran has removed centrifuges from its nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile during his early November visit to Tokyo the chief of Iranian atomic energy, Ali Akbar Salehi, announced that Tehran has begun shutting down its centrifuges according to the JCPOA.
In a letter released on Nov. 1, some 20 Iranian MPs said Tehran has begun removing centrifuges from the Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites and urged President Hassan Rouhani to stop their removal.
Iran and the P5+1 group of countries agreed on July 14 to implement the JCPOA to curb Tehran's nuclear program, in exchange for the lifting of most international sanctions.
According to the JCPOA, clinched between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, Tehran is committed to reducing the number of centrifuges.