Alwaght- Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) vowed that the Islamic Republic will restart its nuclear activities if the 2015 nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) fails.
Reza Najafi made the remarks in an address to reporters in Vienna on Wednesday in response to questions about Iran’s letter to the IAEA concerning preparatory work on the start of certain activities.
“These are the preparatory works for a possible scenario; if in an unfortunate situation the JCPOA fails, then Iran can restart its activities without any limits that already (exist) under the JCPOA,” he said as he summarized to reporters his statement to the IAEA Board of Governors.
He said the first preparation was the restart of the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) in Isfahan for the production of UF6, while another preparatory work concerned the infrastructure for the possible production of new centrifuges.
“But I should emphasize that it does not mean that right now Iran will start any activities contrary to the JCPOA. These are only the preparatory works. It is in the JCPOA that if one party does not fulfill its obligation, then it is the right of the other party to partially or completely not implement its commitment, so this is a right recognized in the JCPOA. We are going to exercise our right if it happens, we should see what will happen in future,” he noted.
He made the remarks a day after the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, told a briefing in Tehran on Tuesday that the country had begun work to prepare the infrastructure for building advanced centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment facility, while respecting its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
Salehi made the announcements less than a day after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei urged preparations for a potential collapse of the JCPOA following the US’s withdrawal.
The Leader ordered the AEOI to get prepared for a rise to 190,000 SWUs (separative work unit) within the framework of the deal.
