Leader Plays Down Limits on Iran’s Uranium Enrichment
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei rejected the West's attempts to curb Tehran's nuclear energy program, underlining that the country definitely needs an enrichment capacity of 190,000 Separative Work Units (SWUs).
Addressing a gathering of senior Iranian administrative and military officials in Tehran on Monday evening, Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that Iran’s uranium enrichment is a vital issue over which Tehran and world powers are at loggerheads.
He said the parties engaged in nuclear talks with Iran are trying to put a limit on the country’s uranium enrichment capacity.
Their objective in the issue of uranium enrichment is to persuade the Islamic Republic of Iran to limit its enrichment capacity to 10,000 SWUs, however, they had initially spoken of 500 and 1,000 SWUs, the Leader explained.
Ayatollah Khamenei noted that 10 thousand SWUs is the product of some 10,000 centrifuges of old type, which are now in Iran’s possession.
But according to the country’s nuclear officials, Iran needs at least 190,000 SWUs, the Leader underlined.
Since July 2, delegates from Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) have launched a fresh round of high-profile talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna in a bid to hammer out a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear case.
The long-awaited accord is aimed at resolving the decade-long standoff on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
Elsewhere in the meeting, the Supreme Leader underscored that Iran’s research and development activities in the nuclear field is another issue that must be observed in the course of negotiations.
The other side has put an emphasis on the fate of those Iranian nuclear facilities that are impossible for the enemy to target, the Leader pointed out, and added, “As regards the Fordo facilities, they say it should be closed because such facilities are not accessible and cannot be damaged, while such comment is ludicrous.”
Imam Khamenei further underscored that not anyone will be able to open assault on Iran, since “a military attack on the Islamic Republic will not be feasible for anyone.”
The Leader explained that homicide and bloodshed are not deterrent factors for the US to launch a military attack, but the truth is that military assault is not affordable for Washington.
Israel's military threats against Iran are constantly repeated but the US prevents Tel Aviv from launching a strike, said the Leader, and stressed, "The reason for the US’ prevention (of an Israeli attack against Iran) is that (it) does not see the attack affordable and we also strongly emphasize that a military attack on the Islamic Republic is not affordable for any one."
