Iran can prove it is not after nukes: AEOI

A spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says Tehran can prove in its talks with six world powers that it is not after building nuclear weapons.

“Our entire effort at Geneva is to legally establish Iran’s nuclear might in the international arena; and very extensive expert work has been done in this field to prove our absolute right [to having a peaceful nuclear program],” said Behrouz Kamalvandi on Monday during an event at Tehran’s Beheshti University marking the Student Day.

The Iranian official further underlined that “our work in Geneva is legal work” and if any criticism is thrown at the proceedings, it should be based on a legal foundation.

He added that,
based on the recent agreement between Iran and six other countries in Geneva, the initial phase of the talks is for confidence building “and the final step would be a space in which Iran can serenely perform all its nuclear activities.”

The AEOI spokesman went on to point out that “the countries of the world have concerns [about Iran’s nuclear energy program] that should be addressed in order to tie the hands of anti-Iran propagators.”

The comments come as Iran and six world powers began a new round of expert-level talks on Monday in the Austrian capital, Vienna, over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.

Officials from Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain — plus Germany launched the two-day talks at the Vienna headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ahead of negotiations between Iran and the agency on Wednesday.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for International and Legal Affairs Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that the Vienna expert-level talks are aimed at devising mechanisms to implement the interim nuclear deal struck in the Swiss city of Geneva between Iran and the six powers on November 24.

The interim agreement aims to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.