Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, told Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday that the volume of nuclear material has increased significantly since implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He said the negotiations had left the major components of Iran’s nuclear program intact.
“We have accelerated the pace, including in the volume of nuclear material which was 550 tons before, now we have 770 tons of nuclear material; this is a fact known to IAEA. With heavy water, we secured the project along with R&D, extraction and exploration. These provide testimony to the fact that allegations of complete suspension of nuclear activities are baseless. In the process, we also secured UNSC’s acknowledgment and recognition of Iran’s nuclear program,” Salehi emphasized.
“A major drive behind pressures on Iran was to prevent enrichment and heavy water production; they believed Iran should not have been active in these areas; however, we were active in both paths, since we were not sure which one would lead us to nuclear fuel sooner.”
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com}
