Leader's Top Aide Urges Production of UF6 as Response to US Withdrawal from N. Deal

Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati called on the government to produce Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) gas which can be used in the country's centrifuge machines, in response to the US violation and withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.

News ID: 70459

Date: 31 May 2018 - 16:49

TEHRAN (Defapress)-Velayati advised the executive officials to launch Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) which can run centrifuges and play key role in nuclear enrichment procedure.

He also called for making use of powerful nuclear engines in ships and submarines, noting that such actions will be a proper response to the US violation of the nuclear deal.

European should give us enough guarantee that they will purchase Iran's crude oil and also help remove banking problems and restrictions, Velayati said.

Iran is determined to maintain its missile power irrespective of the US hue and cry, he said.

The Europeans have already violated their pledges in 2003-2004 and that is why the Supreme Leader warned to avoid such failed experience, Velayati said.

His remarks came after Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi said that the AEOI enjoyed the capability to restore 20-percent uranium enrichment at its Fordo nuclear facility in maximum 3 days if the 2015 nuclear deal is discarded by the other side.

"At present, the pumps, monitors, etc. are ready at Fordo and actually it is like a car with its switch on and ready to go," Kamalvandi told FNA on Sunday.

"20% enrichment can be rapidly done and we are able to start the 20-percent enrichment in maximum two to three days," he added.

Kamalvandi had also warned last July that Iran enjoys the capability to restore its uranium enrichment operations and even develop its capacity to 100,000 SWUs (Separative Work Units) if the nuclear deal with the world powers failed as a result of the US non-compliance with its undertakings.

"We don’t have any problems technically. We were moving normally in the past but if we want to soar up, we can ascend to go up the ladder and develop 100,000 SWUs (of enrichment capacity) in one and a half years and change the heart of the (Arak heavy water) reactor too," Kamalvandi said.

Iran has already gone along the lengthy path of developing its civilian nuclear technology and, for instance, it took Tehran five years to plan and design to build the heart of Arak heavy water reactor; hence it will take only 1.5 years now for the country to rebuild it because the plans and infrastructures are already there, he added, explaining that it wouldn't take long for Iran to revive all its past nuclear capabilities if the deal fails.

US President Donald Trump announced on May 8 that the US would no longer remain part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and promised to re-impose the highest level of economic sanctions against Iran in response to Tehran's development of its nuclear program.

After Trump's declaration, the Iranian government issued a statement, calling the US withdrawal as "unlawful". The statement underlined Iran's prerequisites for continuing the deal with the five world powers after the US pullout of the agreement.

"Iran, as a country that has remained committed to its legal obligations, will pursue the US Government’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA as provided by the mechanisms and provisions of the accord, and if the US withdrawal is not fully compensated and the full interests of the Iranian people are not met and guaranteed – as stated in the accord and as outlined by Iran’s Leader on 9 May – it will exercise its legal right to take whatever reciprocal measures it deems expedient. Other parties to the JCPOA, and especially its three European signatories, must take necessary action to safeguard the accord and to implement their commitments – which they proved incapable of fully performing even while the US was nominally a party to the deal, due to the obstructions by the Trump Administration – and to proceed from giving pledges to taking practical action without any preconditions," it said.

"None of the provisions or timeframes within the JCPOA, which were the subject of twelve years of negotiations, are negotiable in any manner. The US, which has through its meddling and erroneous policies ignited extremism, terrorism, destruction, war and child killing in our region, is in no position to issue any diktat about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful presence within its own region nor its effective support for the peoples of Syria and Iraq in their endeavor to fight extremists. The US and its allies, which through their support for the regime of Saddam Hussein, including equipping it with chemical weapons and the most advanced military equipment while blocking Iran’s access to any means of defense victimized the Iranian people for eight years, and currently turning our region into a powder keg through their sale of hundreds of billions of dollars of useless advanced weaponry devouring the financial resources of the region, are in no position to impose restrictions on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s lawful means of defense, including defensive ballistic missiles which have been designed to carry conventional weapons based on the bitter experiences of the war with the regime of Saddam Hussein. Indeed, such efforts explicitly violate the principles of international law, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s legitimate right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter," it added.

"As announced by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 8 May, the Foreign Minister has been tasked with the duty of taking the necessary measures to obtain required guarantees from the remaining parties to the JCPOA as well as Iran’s other economic partners, and to immediately report the results of this mission. Meanwhile, the President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has been tasked with taking all necessary steps in preparation for Iran to pursue industrial-scale enrichment without any restrictions, using the results of the latest research and development of Iran’s brave nuclear scientists."

"The people of Iran will with calm and confidence continue their path towards progress and development and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has foreseen all necessary measures to facilitate this under any circumstances," the statement continued.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a secure and powerful state, which derives its security and economic development from within, relying on the prudent participation and resilience of its brave and civilized people, seeks constructive and dignified engagement with the world, and as shown by its implementation of the JCPOA despite the United States’ continuous violations, is a trustworthy and committed partner for all who are prepared to cooperate on the basis of shared interests and mutual respect," it reiterated.

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