IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Majlis lawmakers have approved the generalities of a draft bill aimed at tackling sanctions imposed on the country and preventing international inspectors from accessing the country’s nuclear facilities.

During an open parliamentary session on Tuesday, 251 out of 260 lawmakers present voted ‘yes’ to the outlines of the draft bill, which, if adopted, will require the Iranian administration to suspend more commitments under a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal.

The details of the bill will be reviewed in a second reading.

The bill instructs the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to produce at least 120 kilograms of 20%-enriched uranium annually and stockpile it in the country and use it for peaceful purposes as needed.

After the bill is signed into law, the government also has a duty to meet, fully and without delay, domestic industries’ need for uranium enriched up to a purity level of 20 percent and above for peaceful purposes.

Under the bill, the government would also be obliged to raise the country’s uranium enrichment and production to realize the enrichment capacity of 190 thousand separative work units (SWU).

The bill also requires the government to make use of advanced centrifuges, including IR6 and IR2M types.

The government will also be duty-bound to halt inspections of its nuclear sites which are beyond the Additional Protocol.

The double-urgency of the motion had already been approved on parliament floor. The move followed the assassination of eminent Iranian nuclear and defense scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Lawmakers adopted the motion to tackle anti-Iran sanctions following the assassination of prominent Iranian nuclear and defence scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

“The country’s nuclear program must proceed according to the needs of our country. When the plan is approved, we expect that it (the nuclear program) will be strengthened and developed, and that this trend will accelerate,” he added.

Speaking during Tuesday’s session, Abolfazl Amooei, the spokesman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said the plan is meant to open the locks placed on the country’s nuclear program and advance the goals of nuclear martyrs like Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated by suspected Israel-tied terrorists on Friday.

The plan, Amooei said, also seeks to make imposing sanctions against the Iranian people a “costly” measure for Western countries.

“The country’s nuclear program must proceed according to the needs of our country. When the plan is approved, we expect that it (the nuclear program) will be strengthened and developed, and that this trend will accelerate,” he added.

The post Majlis Okays Outlines of Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions appeared first on Iran News Daily.

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Iran’s top atomic authority says Iranian scientists will confront the United States’ bullying targeting the Islamic Republic’s right to peaceful nuclear energy, asserting that the country will never give up this right in the face of Washington’s one-upmanship.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran nuclear scientists, following the guidelines of the Supreme Leader (of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei), are ready to face the coercion and unilateralism of the US government relating to the use of the nuclear energy,” the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) tweeted.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) stresses the country’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, saying that sanctions on Iranian scientists will not hamper such activities.

Iran’s strategic principles feature a far-seeing approach towards peaceful deployment of nuclear energy, the organization said, emphasizing the Islamic Republic’s insistence on exercising its right in the area despite foreign pressure by noting, “Nuclear power will remain in the dominance of the Iranian nation forever.”

The remarks came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the outgoing US administration’s most prominent Iran hawk, tweeted a set of antagonistic comments targeting the country’s nuclear program.

Rehashing his previous remarks, Pompeo wrote, “Iran claims it doesn’t want a nuclear weapon, then threatens the world with its nuclear program.”

Iran has consistently and irreversibly distanced itself from the unconventional weapons on religious and humanitarian grounds. Tehran’s stance in the area has been sealed by a religious decree issued by Ayatollah Khamenei.

The agreement itself, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has allowed Iran to take such countermeasures in case of non-commitment by the other signatories. Tehran only initiated the reprisal after the US illegally left the JCPOA and the Washington-allied members of the nuclear deal suspended their trade with Iran under the White House’s pressure.

Ali Akbar Salehi made the remarks while inaugurating a project for the construction of a facility to produce stable isotopes using gas centrifuges.

The Islamic Republic has pledged to return to its commitments once the countries that are in default of their JCPOA obligations renew their commitment to the historic agreement.

The post Iranian Scientists Ready to Counter U.S. Coercion appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The post Elements Behind Iran’s Natanz Nuclear Site Blast Identified appeared first on Iran News Daily.

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency says the IAEA will not succumb to outside pressure over Iran.

Rafael Mariano Grossi made the comment in a joint press conference, in Tehran, with Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Slahehi.

“The IAEA is not swayed by any third party, but naturally there is some pressure which the agency will not bow to,” said the visiting IAEA chief.

He said there has been no negative change in relations between the IAEA and Tehran, and the agency’s approach vis-à-vis Iran has not changed at all.

However, the IAEA director underlined that there have always been technical questions over IAEA-Tehran relations for further transparency.

Grossi reiterated that he will not allow certain elements to take advantage of the agency to achieve their own objectives.

He said Iran is one of the locations where numerous inspections have been carried out; nevertheless, he added, there are cases which need clarification.

The IAEA director said the agency and Iran have constructive cooperation.

He said all reports published by the agency are systematic and released with special sensitivity.

Grossi described Iran-IAEA ties as significant.

Slaehi, for his part, weighed in on the relationship between Iran and the IAEA.

“A new chapter has opened between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency,” he said.

Salehi expressed hope Grossi’s visit to Iran will be fruitful.

“With this trip, our cooperation will further expand. I hope the outcome of this visit will please both sides, so much so that the two sides will fulfill their responsibilities, with the agency acting in accordance with the [IAEA’s] Statute and the Islamic Republic of Iran in line with the Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol,” Salehi said.

Noting that the enemies who try to interrupt Iran’s cooperation with the agency will not remain silent, the Iranian nuclear chief said, “We will exert every effort to foil the enemies’ malevolent measures.”

“The Islamic Republic has managed [the issue] so far, and it will do so in the future.”

He described his talks with Grossi as “very constructive.”

“It was decided that the agency move forward with its work professionally and independently, and Iran, too, act within the framework of its obligations,” said the AEOI director.

Meanwhile, the   AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said yesterday that improving relations is of high importance for both Iran and the IAEA and the two have been working on resolving mutual affairs in the past two months.

He added that the two sides will not allow other countries to influence or manage the IAEA-Iran relationship.

Kamalvandi also reiterated that IAEA chief’s ongoing visit to Tehran is not related to the activation of the snapback mechanism or any other political issues.

The post IAEA Not to Bow to Foreign Pressure Over Iran appeared first on Iran News Daily.

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Five spies have been apprehended at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense and Logistics of the Armed Forces and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).

A spokesperson for the Judiciary said two of the spies have received final conviction verdicts.

“In recent months, five Iranians who were spying for foreign intelligence services have been arrested … They were spying for Israel, Britain and Germany. Two of those spies have been convicted and sentenced to prison,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said in a weekly press conference.

“Masoud Mosahab, serving as the secretary general of the Iran-Austria Friendship Association, spied for Mossad (the Israeli secret service) and Germany’s secret service,” said the spokesperson.

“He has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars, and his verdict is final,” the spokesperson added.

“Shahram Shirkhani, who spied for Britain, has also received a final ruling. He tried to poison the minds of some managers and recruit elements for the UK’s secret service,” added the spokesperson.

“He had provided the enemy with information about our agreements in domains of the Central Bank, Melli Bank and the defense ministry,” said the spokesperson.

He also said that the country is facing an all-out war waged by the enemies’ media empire.

Esmaili said that today the Iranian society is facing two major problems which are sanctions and distortion (of facts).

Iran’s judiciary spokesman went on to explain further that just as the way the Islamic Iran is countering the economic war, it is also witnessing an all-out war waged by the enemies’ media empire by adhering to distortion as a tool against the Islamic system of Iran.

Esmaili added: “In fighting against media war and distortion by enemies, the importance of journalism becomes more and more apparent to us. “

Reacting to the closing down of a Persian daily, he said the Judiciary has not closed down any media outlet or arrested any journalist in the past year but he advised the media persons to stay away from the security issues because they are red lines and the Judiciary has to take action.

The post Five Spies Arrested at Gov’t Bodies appeared first on Iran News Daily.

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN – Spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Thursday that there were no casualties in Shahid Ahmadi Rowshan Natanz Complex as a result of the incident occurred this morning, and the normal process of enrichment continues far from the site of the incident.

He further noted that on Thursday, around 2:00 o’clock, an incident occurred, as a result of which material damage was caused but, thanks God, there were no casualties.

There has been no nuclear material at the site, so there has been no pollution, contrary to the propaganda and rumors of the dissident and counterrevolutionary media that speak of pollution, he said.

Noting that production of enrichment materials at this important site continues unabated, he said that the experts are investigating to determine the cause of the accident and extent of damages.

“We have started enrichment since Iran’s move to scale down commitments, and currently we have no commitment both in terms of the level of and amount of enrichment, and we are now producing materials over 3.67 percent and above 300 kilograms,” he said.

Kamalvandi said the incident in Natanz nuclear site did not affect its centrifuge operation or cause any release of radiation.

Pre-fabricated steel framework of Natanz out-door site has broken, he added.

Some rumors have been spread by the opposition media claiming spread of pollution, which is not true at all, Kamalvandi added.

Expert teams from the AEOI have been deployed to investigate the factors leading to the damage of the pre-fabricated steel framework, he added.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization, was also present in the site, the spokesman said, adding the AEOI experts are investigating the issue.

The enrichment site has not interrupted performance, and the site continues to do so, he said.

A fire broke out early Thursday at a building above Iran’s underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Officials said it did not affect its centrifuge operation or cause any release of radiation.

Meanwhile Head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali yesterday said that very limited cyberattacks waged against facilities of the country since the start of the current Iranian year (March 20).

Security is never absolute and there are always ways to penetrate it, he said, adding, “modern and up-to-date technologies, in addition to rendering quality services to people, are threatening due to their advanced and intelligent cyber elements.”

Turning to this point that new technologies are a combination of threats and opportunities, he stated, “for instance, social networks are one of the essential functions of people and everyone uses them but social networks, that are dominated by foreign countries, are used to control people of other countries, create chaos and disrupt the order of countries.”

In general, social networks, which are controlled and dominated by foreign countries, are used for security and economic attacks, Brigadier General Jalali added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said, “we use nuclear technology for medical diagnosis and treatment but ignoring the safety issues of this technology can be harmful.”

Safety and security considerations are usually divided into three layers, he said, adding, “the first layer is safety while the other layer is security. The third is war and defense layer, in which, enemy and threat are raised.”

The post Natanz Complex Not Affected by Incident , Enrichment Continues appeared first on Iran News Daily.

IRAN NEWS NATIONAL DESK

TEHRAN –  A senior Iranian official has expounded on the legal dimensions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s access to Iran’s nuclear sites and activities.

Behrouz Kamalvandi, in an article, explained a range of issues and points with regards to the IAEA’s request for “transparency.”

“This report is being published on the threshold of a meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors and in the wake of the submission of a report by the IAEA’s director general to the board which resulted in the adoption of an anti-Iran resolution,” said Kamalvandi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and the organization’s spokesman.

“The report was drawn up by the European Troika based on forged and unsubstantiated documents and was met with serious objection from China and Russia as well as abstentions from the seven Board members, and was finally approved by the board,” he noted.

He said the IAEA director general’s new seasonal report calls for access to, and transparency on two sites in Iran.

“Accordingly, the agency, based on forged documents and intelligence gathered through spy operations by Israel, demanded access. The Islamic Republic of Iran regards these accusations as an unwarranted and illegitimate precedents and seeks to prevent the establishment of such a trend,” said the official.

Kamalvandi noted that the strongest verification system is being implemented for Iran’s nuclear activities, adding almost 20 percent of the total inspections conducted by the IAEA around the world are being carried out in Iran since the JCPOA was signed.

“Eighteen seasonal reports by the IAEA’s director general over around four years all suggest the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constructive and extensive cooperation with the agency,” he noted.

He said Iran’s giving access to the IAEA’s inspectors is a symbol of Tehran’s cooperation and full compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement and the Additional Protocol.

However, he added, the U.S. and Israel are putting the agency under pressure to once again put on the table issues pertaining to Iran’s nuclear program that have already been dealt with and are over now.

“The agency should not be used as a tool to advance the wicked policies of some governments and regimes,” he said.

Kamalvandi underlined that Iran, under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, is obliged to present to the IAEA auditing reports as well as special reports on its nuclear materials.

Meanwhile, he stressed, any demand by the IAEA for “complementary” access to Iran’s sites and materials should be coupled with relevant reasons and in accordance with the agency’s statute as well as the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol.

“Answering the agency’s questions and giving any type of access shall be a function of legal considerations,” he said.

He once again recalled a fatwa by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei under which the production, stockpiling and use of weapons of mass destruction are religiously forbidden.

Kamalvandi urged the agency not to give credit to information obtained through spying activities or invalid sources.

The post Iran Criticizes IAEA for Relying on Baseless Claims appeared first on Iran News Daily.

According To Iran News, The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is helping the country’s medical society in the battle with the coronavirus, a spokesperson said.

Behrouz Kamalvandi said in an interview with YJC that the atomic organization has used all of its potential over the past weeks to assist medical centers in coping with the novel coronavirus epidemic.

The AEOI has been working round the clock to sterilize medical equipment, particularly face masks and hospital gowns, he added.

Although Iran is faced with many international pressures to obtain a series of raw materials, these problems have not affected the supply chain in nuclear pharmacy, Kamalvandi further said, adding that all needed products and services have been provided for the medical centers.

“Around one million patients that go to the country’s medical centers to receive nuclear medicine services are practically using the radiopharmaceuticals provided by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran,” he noted.

Kamalvandi also expressed the AEOI’s readiness to launch plans for the production of coronavirus diagnostic test kits.

In recent years, Iranian scientists have made remarkable progress in the field of peaceful nuclear technology despite the sanctions imposed by the West.

Earlier this month, the AEOI said it was going to mark the National Nuclear Technology Day by unveiling 122 new achievements of the country’s nuclear scientists, but decided to postpone the ceremony due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The post AEOI Assisting with Coronavirus Fight appeared first on Iran News Daily.

According To Iran News,The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran launched a national project to produce molybdenum-99, a radioisotope used to make radiopharmaceuticals.

The major national project is being jointly carried out by the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Nuclear Science and Technologies Research Center, and Pars Isotope Company.

In the first phase of the project, local researchers would gain the technical know-how to design and manufacture a semi-industrial line to produce molybdenum-99 medical isotopes within two years.

Molybdenum-99 is used as a parent radioisotope to produce technetium-99m, the most widely used radioisotope in Iran and the world that is the basis of approximately 70 percent of all radioactive materials used to produce radiopharmaceuticals.

Iran is currently importing the frequently used radioisotope from abroad, but completion of the national project is expected to make the country self-sufficient in the production of Mo-99, save millions of dollars in expenses every year, and even turn Iran into an exporter of the radioactive material.

The Nuclear Science and Technologies Research Center of Iran has already produced 15 radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and for research and development.

The post Iran Sets Up Project to Produce Molybdenum-99 appeared first on Iran News Daily.

According To Iran News, Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to guarantee that international cooperation with Iran on nuclear security issues will continue unabated.

Salehi has travelled to Vienna to take part in the International Conference on Nuclear Security (ICONS 2020).

In a Monday address to the conference, the theme of which is “Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts”, Salehi highlighted Iran’s ongoing activities in the nuclear security sector, and called on the international community to combat threats such as cyber-attacks on the Iranian nuclear facilities.

He also reminded the IAEA of its duties on the basis of its Charter, stressing that the primary responsibility for nuclear security lies with governments.

Salehi urged the UN nuclear watchdog to make the necessary arrangements to guarantee that international cooperation with Iran in the nuclear security sphere will go on and to prevent a harm to the course of cooperation under any pretext.

He further praised the IAEA for working in cooperation with Iran in the affairs relating to nuclear security, and provided a description of the methods adopted by the Islamic Republic to ensure the security of its nuclear sites in accordance with the IAEA’s regulations.

The Iranian official also described the 2015 nuclear deal as a significant international achievement, blasted the US’ unwise policies on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reminded Europe about its responsibility to save the nuclear deal and distance itself from Washington’s bullying and unilateral policies.

The top Iranian nuclear official’s visit to Vienna comes a few days after the US imposed sanctions on him. The US Treasury Department announced sanctions targeting the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and its top official on January 30.

ICONS 2020 includes a scientific and technical program comprising high-level policy discussions on the overall themes central to nuclear security and parallel technical sessions on related specialized scientific and technical, legal and regulatory issues, according to the IAEA.

The previous conference, held in 2016, attracted over 2,000 participants, including 47 government ministers, from 139 Member States and 29 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

The post Iran Urges IAEA to Ensure International Cooperation on Nuclear Security appeared first on Iran News Daily.