Iran should give no concession in providing fuel for Tehran reactor

The Deputy Majlis Speaker, Mohammad Hassan Abu Torabi, said on Sunday that Iran should not give any concession in return for providing fuel to its Tehran research reactor that manufactures medical radioisotopes as the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is legally obliged to sell fuel to Iran under the IAEA supervision.

According to a draft deal drawn up by the IAEA, a large consignment of Iran’s enriched uranium would be shipped out of the country for processing into fuel rods with a purity of 20 percent for the Tehran reactor. However, many Iranian officials, including parliamentarians, believe that that Iran should buy the fuel for the reactor without sending its own low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad.

Russia, France, and the United States have formally agreed to process Iran’s nuclear fuel abroad.

Some lawmakers say there is no guarantee that France, Russia or the U.S. would send nuclear fuel to Iran if Tehran ships its low-enriched uranium to these countries.

Abu Torabi said Iran should first receive the needed fuel and then transfer its fuel abroad.

“Naturally Iran’s low-enriched uranium should be delivered to them after receiving the needed fuel,” Abu Torabi told reporters in the parliament.

“Of course,” he added, “an exchange of the enriched uranium should be under certain specifications.”

He added according to the IAEA rules the countries member to the NSG are obliged to provide fuel to the Tehran reactor.

“In Majlis’ view any kind of precondition for providing fuel to the reactor is unacceptable,” he explained.

Asked if there are any differences among officials in exchanging fuel, the top lawmaker said, “There is no meaningful difference in this regard.”

Kazem Jalali, the spokesman for the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, insisted that there is a full consensus among officials about how to provide fuel for the Tehran reactor and said rumors that there is a difference among Iranian officials on how to provide fuel for the reactor is a propaganda campaign by the West.

Jalali said attempts by the West to complicate a simple issue like providing fuel to the reactor is primarily intended to “distract attention” from Iran’s package of proposals.

The West has created a needless commotion over providing nuclear fuel to the Tehran reactor as exchanging fuel under the IAEA supervision is quite feasible, he explained.

Jalali said the best option is to buy fuel from the countries member to NSG as was stated in Iran’s letter to the IAEA in April this year.

He said the second option is a “guaranteed simultaneous” exchange of nuclear fuel because Iran does not trust France, Russia, and the U.S.

It has been proven to the Islamic Republic in the past 30 years that these countries do not observe their commitments toward Iran.