US Welcomes Release of Arak Heavy Water Reactor Redesign Document

Mark Toner, the spokesperson for the US State Department, issued a statement on Monday, December 2, welcoming the release of the redesign document for the Arak heavy water reactor. According to the US State Department's website, Mr. Toner emphasized that this document is an important step towards operationalizing Iran's commitments regarding the Arak reactor under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and is one of Iran's actions before the 'Implementation Day' of the Vienna nuclear agreement. Under the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group in Vienna, 'Implementation Day' is the day when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirms that Iran has fulfilled all its nuclear commitments specified in the JCPOA. The US State Department spokesperson also stated that the redesign of the Arak heavy water reactor will alleviate concerns regarding the pathway to plutonium acquisition. Mark Toner added that the redesign document, released yesterday, outlines the framework for technical partnerships in this project. He further mentioned that according to this document, the US has committed to providing technical services to Iran and reviewing the modernization plan for the Arak reactor. Washington will also be responsible for designing fuel based on safety standards, in accordance with national laws, which addresses concerns about nuclear weapons proliferation. Mr. Toner specified that the US and China will jointly chair the Arak project working group. Representatives from Iran, the US, and China had announced on October 18 that the renovation and redesign of the Arak reactor would be conducted 'under the management and leadership of Iran.' The Arak heavy water facility and the issue of removing the reactor core and filling it with concrete so that it cannot be reused have been subjects of much debate before and after the Vienna nuclear agreement. The West, asserting that this facility could produce plutonium usable in nuclear weapons, demanded structural changes to it. Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, previously stated in a letter to the President of Iran 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.'