President Rouhani Urges IAEA to Help Iran with Building Propulsion Systems
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Yukiya Amano asked the IAEA to help Tehran with developing nuclear propulsion systems to be used for marine transportation purposes.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always been after developing its positive and technical ties with the IAEA and it will continue cooperation with this international body within the framework of rules and regulations," President Rouhani said during the meeting in Tehran on Sunday.
Elsewhere, he stressed that Iran will remain committed to the last year nuclear deal as long as the world powers comply with their undertakings, and said, "The recent moves by the US, specially the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) is against the nuclear deal. The path that the US has opted for against Iran will decrease global trust in the US administration."
President Rouhani also called for the IAEA's neutrality and technical views in its reports about Iran, and expressed the hope that Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog would have good technical cooperation in the production of nuclear propulsion systems for marine transportation.
Amano, for his part, lauded Iran for its full implementation of the nuclear deal, and said, "Both sides' commitment to implement their undertakings under the nuclear deal is of paramount importance."
President Rouhani on Tuesday ordered the country's nuclear agency to start plans to produce nuclear fuel and propulsion systems for ships and submarines in response to the violation of the Vienna deal by Washington.
After meeting with Amano today, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi underlined that his country is serious about reciprocating the US violation of the last year nuclear deal, saying that Washington has received Tehran's message.
"Given the order issued by President Rouhani to the AEOI and the foreign ministry, we discussed the contents of the order (with Amano), specially about the propulsion systems, and how to do the job and what undertakings we will have within the IAEA's framework," he told reporters in Tehran on Sunday.
Stressing that it is a highly important technical issue, Salehi said that naturally the fuel used in the propulsion systems are enriched to the levels between 5% to 90% depending on the type of fuel, the goal of their use and the needed refueling period.
"We will certainly carry the job within the framework of the nuclear deal and the safeguard agreements and will not do anything beyond that," he underlined.
"Anyway Iran does not have its hands tied and has not burnt bridges behind it and we will take any necessary measures and if the Iranian officials take the decision, we will be ready for implementing it," Salehi added.
"We are in such conditions that the other side has understood our message and knows that our message is a serious one," he underscored.
Salehi also dismissed speculations that Amano's visit was aimed at bringing a message from Washington to Tehran.
His remarks came after the US Senate voted to the extension of the Iran Sanctions Act that clearly violates the last year nuclear deal. The approval wasn’t endorsed by US President Barack Obama but it will be implemented based on the US laws. Iranian officials have warned that Tehran has prepared itself for showing a tough reaction.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi underlined the necessity for all parties to the last year nuclear deal to remain committed to their undertakings.
"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is a multilateral document approved by the UN Security Council and internal developments of countries shouldn’t distort it," Wang said during the meeting in Beijing.
At the meeting, the two high-ranking officials also underlined the necessity for other members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) to remain fully committed to the Vienna nuclear deal signed with Tehran last year.
They also emphasized serious fight against terrorism and mutual cooperation in this regard.
Before Zarif, President Rouhani warned the US of Tehran's firm response to the implementation of the Iran Sanctions Act whose extension for another 10 years was approved by the Senate earlier this month.
"As stressed by Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei), the Islamic Republic of Iran has and will never violate the nuclear deal; we are committed to our undertakings and I, as the president and head of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), declare clearly that we will not bear violation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by any members of the G5+1 and will respond it properly," President Rouhani said in Tehran, addressing the Iranian MPs in a session to submit the next year budget plan to the parliament for approval.
Stressing that the US congress's extension of the ISA is against the JCPOA, he said, "The US president is required to use his authorities and prevent its approval and specially implementation. I declare clearly that if the approval is implemented, it will clearly violate the nuclear deal and will be followed by our firm response; we even consider its endorsement by the US president against the US undertakings and it will face appropriate reaction."
Also, late November, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had warned that implementation of the extended Iran sanctions law for another 10 years would be equal to the violation of the nuclear agreement reached between Tehran and the six world powers in July 2015.
"There were a lot of debates about sanctions in the nuclear talks, but now they raise the issue of extending the sanctions in the US Congress and claim that these are not sanctions but renewal (of earlier sanctions)," the Supreme Leader said in a meeting with a group of Iranian Navy commanders and officials in Tehran on the occasion of the National Navy Day.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the nuclear talks with the world powers, and said, "Initiating sanctions is no different from renewing them after their expiry date, as the latter is also (an instance of imposing) sanctions and a violation of the undertakings already taken up by the opposite side."
Last Tuesday President Rouhani ordered the country's nuclear agency to start plans to produce nuclear fuel and propulsion systems for ships and submarines in response to the violation of the Vienna deal by Washington.
"Considering that the US administration has ignored and delayed compliance with its undertakings under the JCPOA, and given the recent extension of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) that had already been declared as a violation of the nuclear deal by the Islamic Republic of Iran..., the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is ordered to develop the country's peaceful nuclear program within the framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran's international undertakings as defined in the following missions," President Rouhani said in a letter to Salehi on Tuesday.
First, President Rouhani said, the AEOI is required "to plan for designing and building propulsion systems to be used in marine transportation in cooperation with scientific and research centers".
He also asked the Iranian nuclear agency to conduct studies to design "production of fuel for nuclear propulsion systems".
The president also required Zarif to file a complaint at the commission envisaged in the nuclear deal against the extension of the sanctions and take other necessary legal and international actions.
Rouhani required Zarif to inform him of his actions and their results in one month, while he asked Salehi to report back to him in maximum 3 months.
Nuclear propulsion uses a nuclear power reactor to generate electricity on a vessel. Such systems are best known for their use on strategic nuclear submarines, which allow them to stay submerged for weeks avoiding detection. Nuclear propulsion is also used on some big surface ships like aircraft carriers or icebreakers.