TEHRAN: Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor is incapable of producing plutonium for use in a nuclear weapon, a major fear of the West, Tehran’s atomic chief said yesterday.
“The Arak research reactor cannot produce plutonium that could be used to make an atomic bomb since the plutonium will remain in the reactor’s core for a year,” Ali Akbar Salehi told the Isna news agency.
“Plutonium destined to make a weapon cannot stay there for more than three or four weeks or it will contain other elements preventing its use” for military means, he said.
“Anyway, Iran does not have a reprocessing plant” to purify plutonium for such use, Salehi insisted.
Under a landmark deal struck on November 24, Iran agreed to roll back or freeze parts of its controversial nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions. The Arak site is of concern to the West because Tehran could theoretically extract weapons-grade plutonium from its spent fuel if it also builds a reprocessing facility.
Iran agreed not to build such a facility as part of last month’s nuclear deal. It also committed not to make further advances at its Arak, Fordo and Natanz facilities.
“When International Atomic Energy Agency cameras are installed and constantly monitoring the reactor and inspectors can visit, there will no longer be cause for concern,” Salehi said.
Salehi has said dismantling the Arak reactor or giving up uranium enrichment is “a red line which we will never cross.”
Western powers and Israel suspect Iran’s nuclear activities mask military objectives, despite Tehran’s repeated insistence that they are entirely peaceful.
The experts from Iran and world powers will on Monday resume technical talks on implementing a landmark nuclear deal after a Christmas break, both sides said yesterday.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the official Irna news agency that the discussions with the six major world powers are to resume in Geneva.
“The technical discussions between Iran and the 5+1 group will resume on Monday in Geneva... to define modalities for implementing the agreement” struck on November 24, he said.
The negotiations are aimed at setting a framework and a timeline for the nuclear accord.
A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also confirmed that the talks will resume on Monday in Switzerland. “Technical experts meeting with Iran will take place on December 30 in Geneva,” spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told AFP via email.
Iran has already held two sets of talks with representatives from Britain, China, France, Russia, Germany and the United States.
The last round concluded in Geneva on December 22 after little progress was made, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Araqchi, who is also deputy foreign minister, said at the time the discussions were progressing slowly because of “interpretations” of points of the agreement.
Under the Geneva accord, Iran agreed to roll back or freeze parts of its nuclear drive for six months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new sanctions.
Western powers suspect Iran’s nuclear activities mask military objectives, despite Tehran’s repeated insistence that they are entirely peaceful.AFP
