The Redesign Document for Arak Facilities Will Be Finalized in the Coming Days

The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced that the "official document" for the redesign of the Arak facilities will be finalized in the coming days, stating that members of the 5+1 group, except for one country, have expressed their "positive opinion" on this matter. According to the state news agency IRNA, Behrouz Kamalvandi emphasized on Tuesday, November 3, "We are waiting for the remaining country to possibly express its opinion today or tomorrow, and the final signature will occur soon." He added, "We are capable of redesigning the Arak facilities ourselves, but we have accepted international cooperation in this area for speed and ease of work." Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, had previously stated that after signing the "official document" regarding the redesign of the Arak reactor, the "core of the Arak reactor" will be removed at the instruction of the Iranian president. Representatives from Iran, the United States, and China announced on October 18 that the renovation and redesign of the Arak reactor would be carried out "under the management and leadership of Iran." The heavy water facilities in Arak were a contentious issue between Iran and Western countries, but Iran agreed, based on the Vienna nuclear agreement, to have the core of the Arak reactor removed and its openings filled with concrete so that it could not be used again. According to this agreement, Iran will make technical changes to its fuel production lines in Arak with the help of the U.S. and China to be compatible with the new reactor. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, stated in his letter to the Iranian president for the approval of the Vienna nuclear agreement that action regarding the renovation of the Arak heavy water plant "will only begin if a definitive and reliable contract regarding the alternative plan and sufficient guarantees for its implementation is concluded." He also emphasized that the "deal of existing enriched uranium in exchange for yellowcake with a foreign government will begin only if a reliable contract in this regard is concluded along with sufficient guarantees." Meanwhile, Abbas Araghchi, a senior member of the Iranian nuclear negotiation team, announced on Tuesday night in a television program that Iran will not take any action regarding the Arak reactor and its uranium reserves until the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program or PMD are resolved. Yukiya Amano, the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is scheduled to present his final report on the potential military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program or PMD to the Board of Governors on December 15. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced that a meeting between Iran and IAEA experts will be held on December 15, one week before the agency's report is published in Tehran.