BERLIN - Iran is forging ahead with a programme to produce plutonium for nuclear weapons while the European Union focuses its energy on shutting down Tehranâs uranium enrichment activities, an Iranian exile said on Friday.The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a coalition of exiled Iranian opposition groups, said several Iranian officials expressed their pleasure at the progress made at Iranâs heavy water programme at Arak, which could produce plutonium, at a recent meeting of top officials. The meeting was the final session of a special nuclear committee within the powerful Supreme National Security Council before newly appointed government officials took office this week, a senior NCRI official said, citing sources âwithin the clerical regimeâ.
âDuring this session, then Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani expressed his appreciation to (former chief nuclear negotiator) Hassan Rohani for deceiving the IAEA for the past 22 months, and diverting the attention of the international bodies away from the Arak site,â Masomeh Bolurchi told reporters.
| "We'd give you a medal, Hassan, but we only do that for difficult assignments!" |
Bolurchi said that at the Iranian officialsâ meeting, the head of Iranâs Atomic Energy Organisation, Gholamreza Aghazadheh, expressed satisfaction âthat unlike the Natanz site, where progress has stalled, the IAEA has not intervened to stop the advancement of this projectâ.