• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

AEOI Chief: Iran, G5+1 close to agreement on Arak reactor

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, April 20, IRNA -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi announced that Iran and the six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany) are close to reaching an agreement on a heavy water reactor in Irans Arak city.

The issue of Arak heavy water reactor is almost over with the Group 5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany), Salehi told the Arabic language TV network, Al-Alam, on Saturday.

He explained that Iran has proposed the G5+1 to redesign the reactor, and the sextet have welcomed the offer. Through this proposal, the amount of plutonium produced in the reactor will decrease to one-fifth, but the trend and volume of Irans radioisotope production will remain the same.

As regards uranium enrichment to produce fuel for Irans power reactors, the nuclear chief said, We have also proposed to increase the number of centrifuges in a phase-to-phase manner in a bid to enable Iran to produce 30 tons of nuclear fuel for Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The AEOI chief reiterated that Irans proposal stipulates that the number of centrifuges (the existing 20,000) should remain intact for a period of between 4 to 5 years.

He further stressed Irans full compliance with its undertakings under the Geneva interim nuclear deal with the six world powers, and said that on April 12 Iran has completed the operations for reducing the uranium enrichment to the level of 5 percent from 20 percent.

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.

2050**2050