Iran's Atomic Energy Organization: 130 Tons of Uranium to Arrive Soon

The spokesperson for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization announced that, with the approval of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, 130 tons of uranium will soon be imported into Iran. Behrouz Kamalvandi stated in an interview with the IRIB news agency on Thursday, January 13, that Iran had previously imported about 220 tons of uranium. The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that 'Iran is set to receive a large shipment of natural uranium from Russia in exchange for exporting several tons of nuclear reactor coolant (heavy water).' Reuters also noted that the transfer of this uranium shipment requires formal approval from the United Nations Security Council, but given that the countries involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran are members of this body, the approval is largely ceremonial. Iran will have '100 kilograms more space for production' of uranium. The spokesperson also announced that 'according to the new interpretation of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA,' the low-enriched uranium present in Iran's nuclear equipment is not considered part of the uranium reserves registered with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to Mr. Kamalvandi, based on this interpretation, Iran injects 'depleted' uranium into its equipment and extracts 'natural uranium,' thus reducing the amount of material inside the devices that the IAEA registers as part of Iran's uranium to zero. He added: 'Currently, there are 100 kilograms of material there, and the implication of this action is that we effectively have 100 kilograms more space for production.' The website of the Atomic Energy Organization also published the document from the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, which states that 'the existing low-enriched uranium (LEU) in the EUPP equipment... is not included in the reserves of enriched uranium of Iran as stated in the JCPOA text.' This clause is conditional on 'Iran not constructing facilities capable of recovering LEU from such materials for 15 years from the date of implementation.' Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, also recently denied reports about a reduction in uranium reserves, stating that according to the resolution of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, 'the residues of enriched materials removed from the pipes are excluded from the 300 kilograms of Iran's enriched material reserves.' Under the JCPOA, Iran is only allowed to possess low-enriched uranium, which is unsuitable for nuclear weapons, and this low-enriched uranium should never exceed 300 kilograms in Iran. The proposed price from China for redesigning the Arak reactor is 'higher than conventional rates.' The Deputy Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization stated on Thursday that the recent meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA discussed the differences between Iran and China regarding the redesign of the Arak reactor and the reports from the delegations of both countries. According to Mr. Kamalvandi, from Iran's perspective, the price proposed by China is 'higher than conventional rates.' He emphasized that negotiations over the price would not delay the redesign of the Arak reactor, as the design is being carried out by Iranian specialists, and Chinese specialists will review and revise the designs. The redesign and removal of the core of the Arak reactor were conditions for the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement, and the Atomic Energy Organization announced on January 13, 2016, that the 'central section' (calandria) of the Arak reactor had been removed and its holes filled with cement. The countries of the 5+1 group and Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief, have agreed to participate in the modernization of the Arak reactor by signing a document that outlines commitments for each of these countries. According to this document, China is involved in the design and construction of the modernized reactor, while France participates in areas such as receiving and managing spent fuel. The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization also stated that during the meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, American officials promised the commission members that 'there will definitely be no practical effects from the extension of the ISA.' Mr. Kamalvandi, without naming names, indicated that according to some other member countries of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA, the implementation of this law is considered a 'violation' of the Vienna nuclear agreement. Abbas Araghchi stated on Tuesday after the meeting of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA at the Coburg Hotel in Vienna that the members of this commission took Iran's concerns regarding the implementation of the ISA law by the U.S. very seriously. The Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran also reported that Iran has not referred the issue to the JCPOA dispute resolution commission. Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing some diplomats, that Iran preferred not to pursue its objections regarding the extension of this law. The 'Iran Sanctions Act' or 'ISA' was extended for another 10 years last month without the signature of the U.S. President. Islamic Republic officials say this action amounts to a 'violation' of the JCPOA, while the U.S. does not consider the approval of these sanctions a violation of the JCPOA.