Najafi: Iran Has Not Yet Decided on How to Reduce Its Uranium Stockpile

Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that Tehran has not yet made a decision on how to reduce its uranium stockpile, whether by sending it to Russia or other countries, or by diluting or oxidizing it. According to the Associated Press, Reza Najafi said on Thursday, September 10, that one way to reduce these reserves is to send them to Russia or other countries, and another way is to dilute or oxidize them. Under the Vienna nuclear agreement, Iran has committed to maintaining its enriched uranium reserves at only 300 kilograms enriched to 3.67 percent and selling or diluting the rest to an international buyer. Previously, under the Geneva agreement, Iran was supposed to limit its low-enriched uranium reserves to just over 6.7 tons and alter the remainder to a form deemed safe by experts. In June, the IAEA announced that Iran had reduced its 20 percent enriched uranium stockpile by over 80 percent to 38.4 kilograms. Iran's request to lift previous resolutions of the Board of Governors. The Iranian representative at the IAEA also described previous resolutions of the Board regarding Iran's nuclear program as 'unjustifiable and political' and called for their repeal. Mr. Najafi emphasized that after the issuance of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the Board's resolutions regarding Iran's nuclear program 'no longer hold validity.' The UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2231 on July 19, just six days after the official announcement of the agreement in Vienna, confirming the nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers. According to this resolution, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions, Iran will limit its nuclear activities. Since March 8, 2006, when the IAEA Board sent Iran's case to the UN Security Council, this council has issued six resolutions against Iran under the 'Seventh Chapter' of the UN Charter. Meanwhile, the IAEA Board has repeatedly expressed concern about Iran's nuclear program in its resolutions. 'Iran will not accept any negligence in disclosing information.' In another part of his remarks, the Iranian representative at the IAEA called 'the principle of confidentiality' one of the 'important elements' of the recent agreement between Iran and the IAEA, titled 'roadmap,' and emphasized that the Islamic Republic 'will not accept any negligence' in disclosing classified information. According to Mr. Najafi, the request of some Board members for such information 'contradicts the Agency's standard procedure.' Based on a document titled 'roadmap,' signed on July 14 by Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General, Tehran provided the necessary documents to resolve ambiguities regarding potential military dimensions of its nuclear program. Previously, some American representatives and senators had called for access to the 'roadmap,' but Yukiya Amano emphasized that this agreement is confidential. A day before Mr. Najafi's remarks, the IAEA announced that the information provided by Iran regarding its past nuclear program has 'ambiguities' that Tehran must clarify. According to IRNA, Mr. Najafi, in response to this report, stated: 'According to what is mentioned in the Agency's report, this issue is about a building that has no relation to the Agency since construction at a military site like Parchin is a natural matter.' The Agency reported on Thursday, September 5, in a confidential report that in one of the areas of Parchin, the Agency observed through satellite images the presence of vehicles, equipment, and possibly construction materials. Mr. Najafi had previously called the IAEA's report 'ridiculous.'