Iran Dismisses Closure of Fordo N. Site

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi strongly rejected western media reports claiming that Tehran has raised a proposal to the West to close its Fordo underground uranium enrichment facility near the Central city of Qom for lifting sanctions against the country.
“The closure of Fordo site is a sheer lie,” Salehi told reporters at the end of a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

Fordo enrichment facility hosts Iran’s uranium enrichment to the purity level of 20% which is needed for fueling a research reactor in Tehran which produces radioisotopes for medical purposes.

The western media claimed recently that Iran’s new president Hassan Rouhani is willing to shut down its nuclear facility if the West agrees to lift Islamic republic’s sanctions.

Elsewhere, Salehi announced that the talks between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as Tehran’s negotiations with the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) on the country’s peaceful nuclear program will yield good and tangible results this year.

In relevant remarks on Monday, Director General of the IAEA Yukiya Amano in a meeting with Salehi in Vienna voiced optimism that the IAEA and Tehran would reach an agreement on the removal of the remaining ambiguities in Iran’s nuclear program in the coming months.

“In light of the atmosphere created because of Iran’s (recent presidential) elections and the ascending to power of the new government, efforts should aim to reach an agreement between Iran and IAEA within the next few months by using this opportunity,” Amano said.

Amano underlined that the IAEA is a technical body and since his taking office as its director general, he has tried to retain the technical nature of the UN nuclear watchdog agency.

Following the meeting, Salehi described his talks with Amano as “constructive”, and said, “I hope the remaining issues between Iran and the IAEA would be solved during the coming round of negotiations.”

He said Iran and IAEA have agreed to hold their new round of talks on September 27.

“Iran was ready to enhance and strengthen engagement with the IAEA,” Salehi added.

The meeting between Salehi and Amano took place on the sidelines of the 57th IAEA General Conference in the Austrian capital, Vienna on Monday.