Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 9
By Temkin Jafarov - Trend:
Iran says injection of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) into new generated centrifuges is not against the interim nuclear accord between Iran and P5+1.
Behrouz Kamalvandi argued on Nov.9 that Iran is allowed to keep nuclear research activities under the International Atomic Energy Agency's rules and the interim nuclear deal, obtained last Nov.24 between Iran and P5+1, Fars News Agency reported.
Iran and P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council comprising of China, France, Russia, Britain, the US Plus Germany) sealed an interim deal in Geneva on November 24, 2013 to pave the way for the full resolution of the West's decade-old dispute with Iran over the country's nuclear energy program.
A U.S. think-tank said Iran may have violated last year's interim nuclear deal with world powers by stepping up efforts to develop the advanced enrichment centrifuges, a machine that could enrich uranium faster.
According to the Reuters' report published on Nov.8, Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), whose founder David Albright often briefs U.S. lawmakers and others on nuclear proliferation issues, cited a finding in a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Iran, indicates that "since the U.N. agency's previous report in September Iran had "intermittently" been feeding natural uranium gas into a single so-called IR-5 centrifuge at a research facility.
The IR-5 is one of several new models that Iran has been seeking to develop to replace the erratic, 1970s vintage IR-1 centrifuge that it now uses to produce refined uranium.
Unlike other advanced models under development -- IR-2m, IR-4 and IR-6 -- at a research site at its Natanz enrichment plant, Iran had until now not fed the IR-5 with uranium gas.
Kamalvandi said that Iran hasn't committed to stop its nuclear research and development activities.
"Iran can not only inject UF6 into a centrifuge, but also into a cascade (Several centrifuges arranged in cascade).
The Geneva deal took effect on January 20 and expired on July 20. However the two sides agreed to extend their talks for four months till Nov. 24 to reach a permanent deal on Iran's disputed nuclear program.
In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the US and its allies agreed to lift some of the existing sanctions against Tehran.
Iran and P5+1 are negotiating to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement until Nov.24.