EU3 Statement on Iran’s Nuclear Program Draws Response from AEOI
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) reacted to a statement from the three European parties to the 2015 nuclear deal (the UK, France and Germany), which have voiced concern about Tehran's nuclear activities.
In a statement on Saturday, the AEOI made clarifications in that regard.
“The issue of the factory producing uranium metal, which is stipulated in Article 4 of ‘The Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions and Protect the Iranian Nation’s Rights Act’ and which the AEOI is obliged to do as instructed by the Parliament, and the issue of the production of advanced fuel (silicide) to be used at the Tehran Research Reactor are two completely different issues,” read the AEOI’s statement.
“The AEOI has not yet provided the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with information on the Design Information Questionnaire (DIQ) for the uranium metal production plant, which is the subject of Article 4 of the Statute of the IAEA. This information will be provided after the required measures are adopted, and duly at the specified time stipulated in the relevant law,” the statement added.
“As also mentioned in the IAEA’s recent report, the plan to produce advanced fuel (silicide) was presented to the IAEA for the first time over two years ago, and during this time, complementary information as well as information on the design information questionnaire has been sent to the IAEA in several phases,” it noted.
“Moreover, it is reminded that in the early 1980s, the IAEA was sent a report on the successful implementation, at a preliminary level and to a small extent, of research and development work regarding the production of uranium metal for peaceful and conventional purposes,” the statement read.
“It needs to be explained that uranium metal is an intermediary product in the process of producing advanced fuel (silicide), which is immediately produced afterwards during the non-stop production process,” the AEOI said.
“It is hoped that the IAEA will avoid mentioning unnecessary details in it reports to eliminate any grounds for misunderstanding,” the statement concluded.
In a statement released on January 16, the governments of France, Germany and the UK said they “are deeply concerned by Iran’s announcement that it is preparing to produce uranium metal.”
While the three EU parties to the JCPOA have refused to honor the deal after four years, they have called on Iran to “return to compliance with its JCPOA commitments without further delay if it is serious about preserving the deal.”