Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 9
By Khalid Kazimov -- Trend:
There is disagreement among three Iranian officials regarding a fourth document in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iranian lawmaker and member of the Parliament's Special Commission on the JCPOA Mahmoud Nabavian said.
While Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi said there is a fourth document to the JCPOA, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi categorically denies the existence of such a document, Nabavian said, Fars news agency reported Sept. 9.
Shamkhani, Salehi, and Araqchi have recently been host to the Special Commission on JCPOA which is a group of 15 lawmakers that is studying the JCPOA to issue an expert opinion about it before the nuclear deal is put to vote in the Parliament.
Nabavian said despite the JCPOA's numerous references to a research and development document, Araqchi denies the existence of such document completely.
He cautioned that such document restricts Iran's access to the number of SWUs it needs in enriching uranium. The production of generations 6 and 8 of Iranian centrifuges is banned for eight years according to the nuclear deal, which states Iran can only produce engine-less generation-6 centrifuges from year 9 and generation-8 centrifuges from year 11, the lawmaker said.
Accordingly, Iran can add only 200 generation-6 and 200 generation-8 centrifuges each year, he said.
Nabavian warned that Iran would not be able to reach its target 190 SWUs for 33 years if it follows the JCPOA.
The 190-SWU requirement was set by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei last year when he said what is important for Iran is not the number of its operational centrifuges but the enrichment work units the centrifuges can provide.
The Iranian Parliament is scheduled to issue a final vote on the JCPOA by late September, clarifying a course of action for the government to implement or reject the deal.
Edited by CN