Iran nuclear chief:

US replaced with UK in constructing re-designed Arak heavy reactor

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says that the United Kingdom has taken over the share of the United States in a working group tasked with re-building Arak heavy reactor.

News ID: 71914

Date: 22 August 2018 - 13:30

TEHRAN (Defapress) – “The United States has been replaced with the United Kingdom in a working group that is tasked with re-building Arak heavy reactor,” Ali Akbar Salehi said according to Iran state TV the IRIB.

Stressing that all nuclear activities are going ahead as planned and with no problem, Salehi added “despite the United States' exit from Iran nuclear deal, neither exploration, research and development nor construction of new power plants faces any problem.”

He also said that efforts are underway to produce drugs and build hospitals based on nuclear energy.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) further said that reinstated US sanctions have not affected Iran’s nuclear activities, noting “most of our projects are either domesticated or are being carried out in cooperation with a country like Russia, which is doing well in fulfilling its commitments.”

He also touched upon the second power plant in Bushehr, saying "the plant is currently going ahead of the schedule and we hope that the second power plant will become operational in the next six years, and two years after the second power, the third plant comes on stream as well.”

Salehi also pointed to the enrichment of new elements, saying “today, with the help of the Russians, we have achieved the ability to enrich other elements and we now are among the few countries that can produce sustainable isotopes and enrich elements such as xenon and thulium.”

Message end/