Iraqchi: The Collected Centrifuges Were Inactive

The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the National Security Commission of the Parliament reported the collection of 'inactive' centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility, with a parliament member stating that the number of collected centrifuges exceeded six thousand units. According to the state news agency IRNA, Abbas Iraqchi, head of the team following up on the implementation of the JCPOA, reacted on Sunday, December 8, to the news of the collection of centrifuges from the Natanz nuclear facility, stating that the collected centrifuges were 'inactive.' He also responded to IRNA's question regarding the 'semi-active' status of 9,000 other centrifuges, suggesting that this matter should be inquired from the Atomic Energy Organization. According to Mr. Iraqchi, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is collecting centrifuges 'according to its schedule' and simultaneously with Iran's 'roadmap' in the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) known as the 'roadmap.' On Saturday, Mohammad Hassan Asafari, a member of the National Security Commission of the Parliament, reported that 6,246 centrifuges at the Natanz facility, which 'had not been gas-injected,' had been collected. According to the Mehr news agency, Mr. Asafari stated that 9,000 centrifuges would operate in a 'semi-active' mode until 'necessary guarantees' regarding the resolution of potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program or 'PMD' are obtained. Meanwhile, Aladdin Boroujerdi, Chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, noted that active centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility 'have not been stopped, and activities continue as before.' He added that 'six thousand inactive centrifuges that have never been gas-fed have been collected.' According to the Vienna nuclear agreement, about five thousand centrifuges will continue to operate at the Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities, and Iran must collect about 14,000 of its centrifuges. On Wednesday, November 27, the French news agency reported, citing the IAEA's report, that Tehran had removed 4,500 centrifuges from the Natanz and Fordow facilities out of the 19,000 active centrifuges it possesses. On the same day, Reza Najafi, Iran's representative at the IAEA, stated that the recently collected centrifuges had been 'inactive' at Iran's nuclear sites for 'years.' The release of reports about the collection of Iran's centrifuges comes as some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, have conditioned the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement on resolving the 'PMD' issue. However, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, predicted on Thursday, December 5, that this agreement would be implemented by mid-January. Under a secret agreement between Iran and the IAEA signed on July 23, ambiguities regarding the potential military dimensions of Iran's previous nuclear program or 'PMD' are to be resolved. Meanwhile, Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the Agency, in his latest remarks regarding the completion of actions related to the 'roadmap,' announced that he would present his final report to the Board of Governors on December 15, while also reminding that this report would not be 'black and white.' In this context, Iran described the Agency's report as repetitive: 'The centrifuges were inactive.'