Twenty Percent Uranium Enrichment; Provocative or Legal
Interview with Hossein Sheikh-ol-Eslam, senior diplomatic advisor to parliament spokesman Ali Larijani and foreign affairs expert
Iran has now officially started 20 percent uranium enrichment. Meanwhile, it has expressed optimism about the nuclear fuel exchange plan. Right after enrichment was set off, Tehran said it is ready to freeze the process if supplied with nuclear fuel. How do you analyze the chain of actions and statements?
Iran has not breached the international law by initiating high uranium enrichment. It tried to purchase the nuclear fuel at the first step, despite the fact that it was uneconomic. But when Western powers demand a tradeoff, our only option was to start the enrichment inside the country.
Iran is in the right path. It is West that should clarify what it wants. Is it going to act like a political bully or it will abide by international law? If they want to use force, the Iranian nation will resist. Iran has signed and remained committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We have signed the treaty and we want our rights to be acknowledged.
West has not been cooperative so far. Iran’s frequent call for development of a plan which would assure both sides fell on deaf ears. Western powers keep on saying that it doesn’t trust Iran, so how do they expect us to trust them?
Iran’s suggested mechanism for fuel swap –a multi-phase exchange inside its territory- was sensible. We are witnessing a paradox here. Western powers do not trust us while they expect us to believe their promises and cede the fruit of our nuclear activities. This mutual mistrust has turned into a great stumbling block.
West believes that Iran’s initiation of 20 percent enrichment breaches four resolutions passed by UN Security Council. Is that a right claim?
Well the resolutions were against the law and Tehran has never acknowledged them. So what breach are they talking about? Iran is committed to what it has signed, that is the NPT. There was no legal basis for those resolutions and Iran has never said it would comply with them.
Wouldn’t the enrichment –which was West’s nightmare-, be a blockage in the way of nuclear fuel exchange?
These two are not related. We needed the nuclear fuel for Tehran medical reactor, for cancer treatment. We don’t want to provoke anyone, but when Western powers decline to cooperate, production of 20 percent uranium inside the country is just legal, not provocative.
Tehran is ready for swap whenever the other side is ready. Pay attention that for Iran purchasing the fuel would be cost-effective only when supplied at its commercial, international price, like the time we bought it from Argentina. However, unfortunately West does not seem interested in cooperation.
So is there a chance for resumption of negotiations while the enrichment process goes on?
Sure. Iran needs the fuel for both Tehran and Arak reactors. Tehran facility has a capacity of five megawatts but The Arak is a 40 megawatt power plant. While their design and the technology is the same, Tehran needs plate type fuel, but Arak reactor works with fuel rods. Anyway, Iran will continue production of nuclear fuel and is ready to cooperate with West whenever it’s ready.
Twenty percent uranium enrichment and its conversion into fuel plates and fuel rods seem to take a lot of time.
Tehran reactor’s fuel will not end in two years, so we possess that time for enrichment and conversion. Of course, the reactor’s life will end in ten years, but in two years we have achieved what we want.
How do you think the high uranium enrichment could affect the course of negotiations between Iran and West over fuel exchange?
It all depends on Western powers’ attitude. If they acknowledge our rights, then we may take a step forward, but until then, the talks will be facing many problems.
Iran has not breached the international law by initiating high uranium enrichment. It tried to purchase the nuclear fuel at the first step, despite the fact that it was uneconomic. But when Western powers demand a tradeoff, our only option was to start the enrichment inside the country.
Iran is in the right path. It is West that should clarify what it wants. Is it going to act like a political bully or it will abide by international law? If they want to use force, the Iranian nation will resist. Iran has signed and remained committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). We have signed the treaty and we want our rights to be acknowledged.
West has not been cooperative so far. Iran’s frequent call for development of a plan which would assure both sides fell on deaf ears. Western powers keep on saying that it doesn’t trust Iran, so how do they expect us to trust them?
Iran’s suggested mechanism for fuel swap –a multi-phase exchange inside its territory- was sensible. We are witnessing a paradox here. Western powers do not trust us while they expect us to believe their promises and cede the fruit of our nuclear activities. This mutual mistrust has turned into a great stumbling block.
West believes that Iran’s initiation of 20 percent enrichment breaches four resolutions passed by UN Security Council. Is that a right claim?
Well the resolutions were against the law and Tehran has never acknowledged them. So what breach are they talking about? Iran is committed to what it has signed, that is the NPT. There was no legal basis for those resolutions and Iran has never said it would comply with them.
Wouldn’t the enrichment –which was West’s nightmare-, be a blockage in the way of nuclear fuel exchange?
These two are not related. We needed the nuclear fuel for Tehran medical reactor, for cancer treatment. We don’t want to provoke anyone, but when Western powers decline to cooperate, production of 20 percent uranium inside the country is just legal, not provocative.
Tehran is ready for swap whenever the other side is ready. Pay attention that for Iran purchasing the fuel would be cost-effective only when supplied at its commercial, international price, like the time we bought it from Argentina. However, unfortunately West does not seem interested in cooperation.
So is there a chance for resumption of negotiations while the enrichment process goes on?
Sure. Iran needs the fuel for both Tehran and Arak reactors. Tehran facility has a capacity of five megawatts but The Arak is a 40 megawatt power plant. While their design and the technology is the same, Tehran needs plate type fuel, but Arak reactor works with fuel rods. Anyway, Iran will continue production of nuclear fuel and is ready to cooperate with West whenever it’s ready.
Twenty percent uranium enrichment and its conversion into fuel plates and fuel rods seem to take a lot of time.
Tehran reactor’s fuel will not end in two years, so we possess that time for enrichment and conversion. Of course, the reactor’s life will end in ten years, but in two years we have achieved what we want.
How do you think the high uranium enrichment could affect the course of negotiations between Iran and West over fuel exchange?
It all depends on Western powers’ attitude. If they acknowledge our rights, then we may take a step forward, but until then, the talks will be facing many problems.