BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec. 10
By Elnur Baghishov - Trend:
Iran may produce stable isotopes without the Russia's assistance, spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Behrouz Kamalvandi told reporters in Tehran, Trend reports referring to IRIB.
Kamalvandi added that in terms of technical knowledge, Iran can do everything itself in the nuclear industry in case its willing.
“Iran's Atomic Energy Organization intends to establish a center which will not use centrifuges at Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,” the spokesman said. “The center will be constructed in a few months.”
Kamalvandi said that stable isotopes may be produced without using centrifuges.
While commenting on the suspension of cooperation with Russia in the production of stable radioisotopes at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, the spokesman said that the discussions on this issue were held with the Russian side about 7-8 days ago.
"Of course, it is impossible to produce stable isotopes as the decision was made to enrich them technically," Kamalvandi said.
Referring to the production of stable isotopes in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the spokesman said that the work was planned to be carried out in this sphere.
In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions against Iran in November of the same year. In order to preserve the agreements reached as part of the JCPOA, the European signatories of the deal stated in January 2019 that a financial mechanism for maintaining trade with Iran called INSTEX was formed.
On May 8, 2019, Iran announced that it had ceased fulfilling its commitments regarding the sale of over 300 kilograms of uranium, as stated in the deal, basing its decision on the other signatories having 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 Sept. 5, Iran announced that it will enrich uranium using next-generation centrifuges and will not mix it with the enriched uranium residues as part of the third step of reducing commitments in JCPOA.
On Nov. 5, Iran announced that it took 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.
