Iranian representative to IAEA: Iran to continue its uranium enrichment plan

Azerbaijan, Baku, June 14 /Trend, D.Khatinoglu/

Currently, Tehran is preparing a response to the new resolution of the UN Security Council, however, the known "specific decision" is that despite the requirements of the resolution, Iran will continue to enrich uranium, said Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali Asghar Soltaniyyeh.

"Our reaction to the resolution is the same with those to the previous resolutions, our nuclear activities will continue. We will not suspend uranium enrichment even for a second," Soltaniyyeh told Trend by telephone from Vienna.

June 9 UN Security Council adopted a new resolution to stop Iran's nuclear program. 12 members of the UN Security Council voted for the resolution number 1929, and two non-permanent member - Turkey and Brazil - against. Lebanon abstained from voting.

According to Soltaniyyeh, the resolution was presented to voting at a time when in the morning June 9 the Vienna Group presented answers to the IAEA regarding the Iran-Brazil-Turkish agreement.

In May 2010, with the mediation of Turkey and Brazil, Tehran agreed upon uranium exchange. Under the agreement, Iran should send to Turkey 1,200 kilograms of low enriched uranium and receive 120 kg of 20 percent uranium fuel.

On the eve of the voting in the UN Security Council on the new resolution, Washington, Moscow and Paris sent their answers to the IAEA to Iran's proposal for the exchange of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel for the reactor in Tehran. The IAEA confirmed receipt of the responses of three members of the UN Security Council and said that they were sent to Tehran.

"This fact confused us much, said Soltaniyyeh. - During receiving responses from the Vienna group, UN Security Council began discussing resolution aimed against us. We were very surprised by such a hasty adoption of the resolution. This once again shows that the West's position on Iran's nuclear program is illogical.

Soltaniyyeh said that due to distrust in the Western countries, Iran itself will continue to enrich uranium. According to him, there is no guarantee of fuel supply to nuclear reactors being built in Iran, and therefore, Tehran was forced to enrich uranium itself.

The representative of Iran to the IAEA set an example of the delay of building nuclear power plant in Bushehr by Russia by more than 10 years. According to him, official Moscow provided Iran with only one year supply of fuel for the reactors of the station, while the nuclear plant in Bushehr, with a capacity of 1000 megawatts, should work at least 30 years.

The construction of Bushehr nuclear power plant in 1990s years was trusted on Russian AtomStroyExport Company. Russia stated that the construction of the station will be completed in late summer of this year. However, throughout the construction period, the Russian side always delays launching of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Two years ago, Russia provided Iran 110 tons (annual fuel reserve) fuel uranium. The two countries have an agreement that the Bushehr plant will be provided with fuel for 10 years.

"Of course, we take into account that there are some technical problems, but it is hard to believe that for 15 years it has been failure to finish the construction of the facility which should be built only for five years, said Soltaniyyeh. Given that Russia voted for the adoption of Security Council sanctions against Iran, we come to the conclusion that Russia delays the launching of this facility specifically because of political reasons.

Soltaniyyeh also cited West's unwillingness to provide fuel nuclear to Amirabad laboratory.

"20 years ago, we asked the IAEA to provide 20-percent enriched uranium fuel to Amirabad laboratory, but none of the Western countries expressed their consent. Finally we got the agreement from Argentina. And we made a similar claim, and again the West refused us. This reactor produces radioisotopes, and if the West refuses to give us the fuel, we will produce it ourselves," said the representative of Iran to the IAEA.

Amirabad laboratory nuclear laboratory was built 45 years ago by the United States. According to Tehran, the medicines produced by the laboratory are necessary for 800,000 patients. Starting from 2010, Iran enriches uranium gas at 20 percent. However, it is unknown with what technology Iran uses to turn uranium gas into enriched uranium fuel. In the world, only the United States, France and Argentina have the technologies for the production of fuel tubes from the uranium gas.

Despite that Iran, Russia, the U.S. and France reached agreement on the exchange of uranium in October 2009 at a meeting in Vienna, Iran subsequently refused it.

According to Soltaniyyeh, there is no convention or international paper that would limit the degree of uranium enrichment. According to him, Iran is a member of the IAEA Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and has the right to enrich uranium to the extent to which it wishes.

Soltaniyyeh said that Iran with responsibility approaches the international obligations, and the Iranian plan to enrich uranium is under full IAEA supervision.

West doubts the essence of Iran's nuclear program. U.S., Israel and some European countries suspect Iran of a plan for producing nuclear weapons. Iran denies this. So far, the UN Security Council adopted six resolutions to stop Iran's nuclear program. Four of the six resolutions include economic sanctions.

Israeli nuclear program

Non-Aligned Movement countries and the Arab states rigidly required the IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano to prepare a report on supposed nuclear weapons of Israel and compel it to provide data on nuclear potential," said Iran's representative to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltaniyyeh.
For the first time after 20 years, the question about Israel's nuclear program was raised in Vienna at the level of heads of delegations to the IAEA.
"Today's meeting of the IAEA is the second pressure on Israel after the conference in New York to review the NPT [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]. Today, Israel is under strong external pressure," Soltaniyyeh, who attends the meeting, said in an interview with Trend.
He said the reason for the rigid demands of most IAEA member countries was the latest events around the "flotilla of freedom".
A week ago, Israeli naval forces intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea six ships coming with the humanitarian aid and the delegation of human rights activists in blockaded Gaza Strip. During the operation, nine members of "flotilla of freedom" were killed, dozens were injured and hundreds were imprisoned and later deported. The international community has demanded a speedy investigation of these events.

The Iranian representative to the IAEA said that in today's discussions in Vienna, most countries, except the U.S. and some European countries, have agreed that Israel should join the NPT and place its nuclear reactors under IAEA control.
A similar decision was contained in the final statement of the New York conference in May, said Soltaniyyeh.

All members of Non-Aligned Movement, which unites 118 countries worldwide on the principle of non-participation in military blocs, which is currently headed by Egypt, voted 'for'.
According to Arab states and Turkey, the "shadow" policy of Israel over the supposed nuclear facilities on its territory is a stumbling block in establishing a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East in accordance with 1995 NPT resolution. Israel does not deny, but does not recognize the possession of nuclear weapons and refuses any international cooperation in this field, including adherence to the NPT, along with India and Pakistan.
Israel believes that the policy of "nuclear silence" corresponds to the national interest of any state, if it does not undermine the security and stability in the region.
Amano's report on uranium exchange

Soltaniyyeh said the last report by the IAEA director general Yukiya Amano contains certain technical problems, including the fact that it does not reflect Iran's agreement for uranium exchange. The NAM member countries protested on this issue, stating that the report should also reflect the position of the Iranian side.

The meeting of IAEA Board of Governors took place June 7, when was presented previously distributed report by IAEA director general on Iran's nuclear program.

"We protest against Amano's report and do not consider the report balanced," said Soltaniyyeh.

Bombing nuclear facilities

According to Soltaniyyeh, another theme that emerged from discussions at the IAEA this week was the bombing of facilities in Syria by Israel in 2007.

In the night September 6, 2007 several bombers and fighters of the Israeli Air Force penetrated Syrian airspace from the Mediterranean Sea. This is the only data on the operation, which was officially confirmed.

"Israel claims that it was nuclear facilities and reactors, he said. But in this case, two questions arise: to what international law is the construction of nuclear facilities contrary, and under Israel's possession of such information, why instead of submitting them to the IAEA, Israel willfully committed an attack on Syria?"

Soltaniyyeh added that Israel bombed nuclear sites in Iraq in 1981, and the bombing was condemned by the IAEA and the UN Security Council and a resolution was adopted against Israel.

"Now the Non-Aligned Movement countries and we [Iran], including in the agenda the Israeli attack on Syria, are making efforts to adopt a new resolution against Israel," he said.

T.Konyayeva contributed to article