IRNA: Iran's Refusal to Test New Centrifuges Denied

On Saturday, December 15, the state news agency IRNA reported, citing a "well-informed source close to Iran's nuclear negotiating team," that reports of Iran's "refusal to test new centrifuges" were denied, stating that the "research and development" process of enrichment at the country's Atomic Energy Organization is proceeding in a "normal and natural" manner. The news agency quoted its "well-informed source" as saying: "The conversion of oxide to fuel plates is being carried out according to the planned and pre-designed programs of our Atomic Energy Organization, and even the amount will be less in the coming months than in previous months." It emphasized that Iran's refusal to test new centrifuges is "absolutely not true" and that the research and development process of enrichment at Iran's Atomic Energy Organization is following its "normal and natural" course. On Friday, December 14, IRNA also reported that "nuclear research and development activities" in Iran will continue for the next seven months based on the Geneva agreement. Reuters reported on Tuesday, December 10, citing a diplomatic source, that based on the seven-month extension of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 1+5, which was achieved on December 3, the Islamic Republic agreed to convert five kilograms of its uranium oxide reserves into nuclear fuel each month. Under the six-month Geneva agreement reached on December 3, 2013, Iran agreed to dilute or convert its 20% enriched uranium reserves into fuel rods. Following the extension of this agreement for another four months in July of this year, Iran agreed to convert another 25 kilograms of its more highly enriched uranium oxide into nuclear fuel. This amount was one-fourth of Iran's total uranium oxide reserves. The Associated Press also reported on Thursday, December 13, that some members of the U.S. Congress who support new sanctions against Iran are trying to gain the necessary majority to prevent President Barack Obama from potentially vetoing the sanctions bill. According to this report, Obama administration officials have told several members of Congress that the U.S. has obtained significant concessions from Iran, including the Islamic Republic's commitment to more inspections of nuclear facilities and neutralizing larger amounts of Iran's uranium resources. The "well-informed source close to" Iran's nuclear negotiating team responded to the Associated Press report by stating: "The extent and type of inspections of our nuclear activities is a matter that is coordinated and arranged between Iran and the Agency, and other parties have no role in it." It emphasized: "Currently, these inspections are proceeding as usual, as before." Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, stated on Wednesday evening, November 28, that Iran does not accept any inspections or processes that are "special." The International Atomic Energy Agency, in its report on November 16, indicated that the United Nations Security Council and the Agency's Board of Governors had requested Iran to implement the Additional Protocol, stating that the Islamic Republic has refused to implement this protocol, which allows for surprise inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities. Under the Additional Protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was signed during the presidency of Mohammad Khatami but was not ratified by the Islamic Consultative Assembly, inspectors from the Agency would be allowed to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities whenever they deem necessary. In this context, Netanyahu welcomed the failure to reach a nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5, Fabius stated that progress had been made in the uranium enrichment dispute, and Zarif claimed that nuclear negotiations are nearing a successful conclusion.