Shamkhani Denies 'Halting Centrifuge Collection'

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, on November 20, described a quote attributed to him regarding the halt of centrifuge collection due to a warning to the Atomic Energy Organization as 'incorrect.' This denial comes a day after Iranian media reported that Shamkhani had stated Tehran had stopped collecting centrifuges at the Natanz and Fordow facilities. These statements were echoed in some regional and international media. Previously, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, had said in an interview with Japan's Kyodo news agency that Iran had begun implementing the nuclear agreement by collecting some of its centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facilities. Following these statements, a group of conservative representatives in the Iranian parliament warned President Hassan Rouhani and called for a halt to this action. Shamkhani emphasized the 'pursuit of Iran's commitments' and stated that 'under the JCPOA, commitments for Iran and the 5+1 countries are defined within a specific timeline and execution table that both sides are pursuing.' According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency, IRNA, Shamkhani said, 'The implementation of Iran's commitments under the JCPOA is subject to legal and technical regulations and the observance of considerations approved by legal authorities, and the executive and supervisory bodies are seriously committed to adhering to these frameworks.' He stated that Iran would only halt its actions if the other party fails to fulfill its commitments. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear program that was established on July 14 between Tehran and six world powers: the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France, and Germany. Under this agreement, Iran is to collect a significant portion of its centrifuges, limiting activities at the Natanz facility to just over 5,000 IR-1 centrifuges. The restrictions on Iran's nuclear program lead to the lifting of international sanctions against Tehran. The nuclear negotiations and the resulting agreement have opponents both inside and outside Iran, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a group of conservative representatives in the Iranian parliament.