Iran

Iran accepts no limits to nuclear research

370520_Iran-talks

Tehran will not accept any restrictions on the research and development (R&D) work in its peaceful nuclear energy program, an Iranian official says.

Iranian high-ranking officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, have repeatedly made it clear that Iran will accept no limits to nuclear research and development, said Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), on Tuesday.

The Iranian official’s remarks came in response to demands from the West that Iran shut down the Fordow nuclear facility.

He also said that nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 would yield fruit provided that the other side demonstrates genuine goodwill.

“If there if political goodwill, we can remove the opposite side’s concerns, which are, in our opinion, illogical. If we feel, however, that these are false concerns and serve as a pretext to impede Iran’s nuclear development, of course we cannot accept them,” Kamalvandi said.

If the other side lacks in goodwill, the negotiations will be of no avail, he added.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China – plus Germany formally kicked off the sixth round of nuclear talks on July 3 in Vienna to discuss a permanent accord on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

Iran and the six countries have been discussing ways to sort out their differences and achieve a final deal that would end the decade-old dispute over Iran’s nuclear energy program.

The two sides sealed an interim deal in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. The deal came into force in January and expires on July 20, but can be extended depending on the agreement by all parties involved.

Back to top button