Senior Cleric: Iran Not to Give Up Arak Heavy Reactor

Tehran’s provisional Friday Prayers Leader Hojjatoleslam Kazzem Seddiqi underlined that the operation of the heavy water reactor in the Central city of Arak is Iran’s redline and the country has no plan to relinquish this project by any means.
Addressing a large and fervent congregation of the people on Tehran University campus on Friday, Hojjatoleslam Seddiqi said, “As Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said we do not withdraw from the achievements of our scientists in area of the peaceful nuclear technology and hence the Arak heavy reactor will in no way be closed down.”

He called on the world powers not to insist on their illogical stance regarding Arak heavy reactor.

The Iranian officials had earlier announced that launching the heavy water reactor in the Central city of Arak is among Iran’s redlines, adding that the installations are under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA inspectors visited Arak heavy water reactor in December. During their visit to Iran, the IAEA inspectors held a meeting with the officials of the AEOI and then visited Arak heavy water installations.

Before the IAEA started its visits to the Arak Reactor, the AEOI announced in a statement that “the Islamic Republic of Iran, as a sign of goodwill to remove any possible ambiguity about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, has given a positive response to the request made by the IAEA to visit the plant”.

In mid-November, Director-General of the IAEA Yukiya Amano and AEOI Chief Ali Akbar Salehi signed a joint statement which presented a roadmap for future cooperation to resolve the remaining issues between the two sides.

According to the statement, the IAEA and Iran agreed on November 11, 2013 to strengthen their cooperation and dialogue aimed at ensuring the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program through the resolution of all outstanding issues that have not already been resolved by the IAEA.