BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 4. Iran will soon become a hub for the production and export of radioisotopes, taking into account the country’s potential, Vice President of Iran and Chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami said, Trend reports.
At present, Iran has opportunity for the production of diagnostic and treatment isotopes and to increase the production potential by 7 times, Eslami noted.
The vice president added that certain steps have been taken in the direction of the development of plasma knowledge and technology, as well as the development of irradiation technology in medicine, agriculture and other fields over the past 16 months.
According to him, Iran currently produces high-quality heavy water within the country. So, Iran has improved its position in the field of heavy water production and can export this important product to other countries.
Eslami also pointed out that Iran's achievements in the nuclear industry in the current difficult conditions (such as imposing of sanctions by the US and Western countries against Iran, the country's difficult economic situation, banking and financial problems), show that the country is moving in the right direction, and Iran will remove the world pressure on the country's nuclear industry.
The purpose of nuclear research conducted by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is to turn the nuclear industry into a commercial one by producing various types of products.
Iran discloses various programs related to its nuclear industry to reflect that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, according to the information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has increased the amount of highly enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and currently the country's enriched uranium reserves are 4,745 kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
On January 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany). In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year. To preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal started in January 2019 and a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.
On May 8, 2019, Iran announced ceasing to fulfill its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories that have not fulfilled their obligations. On July 7, Iran announced that it will not be fulfilling its commitments regarding the enrichment of uranium at 3.67 percent and the reconstruction of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility as stated in the deal.
On September 5 of the same year, Iran announced its commitment to enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and not to mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA. On November 5, 2019, Iran announced to have taking the fourth step in connection with reducing its commitments to the nuclear agreement. So, uranium gas is being pumped to the centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
On Jan.2020, Iran took the last fifth step in reducing the number of its commitments within JCPOA.
On May 8, 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group, and imposed new sanctions against Iran as of November 2018.
Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, ranging from above 700 banks, companies, to individuals. The sanctions have led to the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.