Salehi: Arak Heavy Water Reactor Not Ignorable

Tehran, Dec 1, IRNA – Vice-President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi said on Saturday that ignoring Arak heavy water reactor is like quitting enrichment right. Speaking at a ceremony marking the third anniversary of martyrdom of Iranian nuclear scientist Majid Shahriari on Saturday, Salehi said Arak heavy water reactor is a source of pride for Iran in the field of science. He said, “If they wish us not to have such a reactor, this means that they have never been willing to see our nuclear case go back on normal track.” He added that we do not have any problem with the Geneva deal. “Presently, they are constantly saying that this foreign official or that American institute has said Arak should eventually stop operating because it is a source of plutonium production which can be used for production of bomb and that if Arak facility remains intact it could be used for bomb production whenever Iran wishes to do so.” He said the weapon graded plutonium should be free of any toxic materials, whereas Arak reactor does not produce such a kind of plutonium. Addressing certain western states, Salehi said, “If you want to deprive us of a right, you should know that our Leader has set the red line and we will not relinquish any right, enshrined in the NPT.”/end