The MPs, in this visit, were informed of the site’s facilities and procedures besides its production, engineering and technical activities.

The visit was paid to let the MPs prepare their periodical report (each six months) about the activities and measures of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), regarding its JCPOA commitments and reduction of obligations.

On November 18, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported said that Iran has accumulated more than 130 tons of heavy water in continuation of its cuts to JCPOA commitments.

“On 16 November 2019, Iran informed the Agency that its stock of heavy water had exceeded 130 metric tons,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a report to member states, Reuters reported.

“On 17 November 2019, the Agency verified that the Heavy Water Production Plant (HWPP) was in operation and that Iran’s stock of heavy water was 131.5 metric tonnes,” the report added.

Iran took the fourth step back from its commitments to the nuclear deal earlier this month at the end of a 60-day ultimatum to remaining parties to the nuclear deal to live up to their own commitments to the JCPOA ended while they did not take any practical steps to meet Iran’s demands.

Iran demands European countries make up for its losses after the US withdrawal from the accord and help Iran with its oil sales and banking relations.

Tehran says its countermeasures are in accordance with the paragraphs 26 and 36 of the nuclear deal, and that it will reverse the steps once its demands are met.

As a first step, Iran increased its enriched uranium stockpile to a level above the 300 kilograms set by the JCPOA.

In the second step, Tehran began enriching uranium to purity rates beyond the JCPOA-limit of 3.76 percent.

Furthermore, Tehran lifted all restrictions on nuclear research and development and announced it would use advanced centrifuges as its third step.

In the 4th step, the Iranian nuclear agency resumed uranium enrichment to 4.5% at Fordow nuclear facility by injecting gas into advanced IR6 centrifuges, while Iran had agreed in the JCPOA not to conduct enrichment in the underground facility.

Each time Iran gives a 60-day deadline to the other parties before taking its next step.

“The modernization is done under JCPOA regulations,” he added.

“In addition to Iran, China and the US were members of modernization of Arak reactor working group but following the US withdrawal from JCPOA, the group is held with the membership of China and Britain,” the Iranian ambassador added.

According to Head of Iran’s nuclear agency the second part of Arak heavy water reactor will become operational in the next two weeks.

Speaking to reporters after attending a parliament session on October 7, the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said that within the next three weeks, the second part of Arak heavy water reactor will become operational.

Salehi noted that the bulk of the nuclear process takes place in the second part of the reactor.

He added that the nuclear experts have been working on the second part of the Arak plant for the past 4 years, adding that with the installation of the fuel lattice pitch in the next two or three weeks, the second part of the reactor will become operational.

IR-40 also known as Arak Nuclear Plant is an Iranian 40 megawatt heavy water reactor under construction near Arak, adjacent to the 1990s era Arak Heavy Water Production Plant. Civil works for the construction began in October 2004. It is intended to produce isotopes for cancer and other medical treatments.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, hailed the country’s progress in the nuclear energy sector, adding “we have made so much progress in the field of nuclear knowledge and industry that instead of using reverse engineering, we can now design a new reactor fuel from scratch.”

He said Tehran nuclear reactor used to run on an older version of fuel, but the new design for the 20% fuel will increase the reactor’s efficiency.

Salehi added that the country is on the verge of designing the new, upgraded fuel that can be used in any reactor.

“Designing reactors has now become a very possible task for the Iranian experts,” he said.

The nuclear chief then noted the Iranian nuclear scientists’ success at producing the raw material for the tracer FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose), which is used in PET scan, adding “the raw material for FDG is Oxygen-18, which we succeeded in producing in Arak reactor with 95% purity.”

He added once the hydrolysis stage is completed, Iran will no longer need to export Oxygen-18.

“Our production capability in this field has increased to the extent that we can export a part of our products to other countries,” Salehi maintained.