Azerbaijan, Baku, June 13 /Trend S.Isayev, D. Khatinoglu/
The problem Western states have with Iran is not in nuclear sphere, but it is rather Islamic resistance of Iran that frightens them, Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili said, Fars reported.
Iran has repeatedly dismissed the Western allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has every right to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
"Western countries never believed Iran can produce a nuclear fuel bar in two years, yet we did it," Jalili said.
He added that Iran's nuclear program was successful despite such factors as the Stuxnet virus attacks and assassinations of country's nuclear scientists.
Jalili underscored that Western countries must accept Iran's nuclear rights within the NPT framework and respect Islamic Republic's rights.
"Currently about 10,000 centrifuges exist at our uranium enrichment sites at Natanz and Fordo," Jalili said.
Supreme National Security Council Secretary recalled when Iran needed 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel bar for Tehran reaserch nuclear power plant for medical purposes, and the West proposed a exchange of 20 percent-enrched nuclear fuel with Iran's 3.5 percent-enriched uranium.
"Iran accepted that offer, yet the other side put up some illogical preconditions," Jalili said. "I remember when I said during that meeting that Iran is prepared to make the 20 percent enriched fuel itself, and some of the people present there started laughing, thinking Iran cannot do it. And yet we proved them wrong".
The Amirabad reactor in Tehran was loaded with domestically produced nuclear fuel plates during a ceremony of unveiling Iran's latest nuclear achievements in February 2011.
The western countries suspect Iran of preparing to make nuclear weapons, yet the Islamic Republic says its nuclear activities aimed at peaceful purposes only.