Iran will resume building centrifuges for its nuclear program on Tuesday despite international objections, but is continuing its suspension on uranium enrichment, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Sunday. Hamid Reza Asefi said Iran has informed the International Atomic Energy Agency and the governments of Britain, Germany and France, about its decision. âWe declared to IAEA and the three countries that we are prepared to resume work as of June 29th,â Asefi said at a press conference. However, he said Teheran will remain committed to suspension of actual uranium enrichment - injecting gas into centrifuges.
The announcement came days after the IAEA approved a European-drafted resolution that rebuked Iran for past cover-ups in its nuclear program. The United States accuses Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons. Iran maintains its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, geared toward production of nuclear energy. Iranâs top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, has said Iranâs decision to reconsider its suspension of some uranium activity was in response to failure of the three European countries to help close Iranâs nuclear dossier at last weekâs IAEA meeting. According to Rowhani, the three European powers promised in February to work toward closure by June if Iran stopped making centrifuges. It did so in April.
Asefi insisted Iranâs nuclear policy has not changed. âNothing important has happened ... Europeans failed to respect their commitments. Therefore, there is no reason for us to keep our moral promise,â he said. âWe remain committed to voluntary suspension of uranium enrichment. We had cooperation with the IAEA, we have (it) now and we will cooperate with the IAEA in the future.â Asefi said Iran wants the IAEA and the three European countries to supervise Iranian building, assembling and testing of centrifuges when the program resumes. âConcerning building and assembling centrifuges, we declared to the IAEA and Europeans that we will do that according to regulations, under IAEA supervision,â he said.
| "The Euros, of course, may have a cut of the contracts.That should settle things." |
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