Mr. Rouhani addressed a ceremony to commemorate National Nuclear Technology Day on Sunday where he presented what he believed was great achievements in nuclear technology; "April 9 is a day of jubilation where every year, we have been celebrating the new phases of our success in the industry by our talented youth; in the fiscal year ending in March 21 2017, we have opened 42 such projects which provides testament to flourishing of the industry," he told the ceremony. "Now, in every field, our achievements contribute to other industries, in mining, in medicine, to name a few."
Rouhani had also a flashback to early days of the nuclear industry where the country, engaged in war with Iraq, had entertained enrichment of uranium back in 1982; "for the first time, possibilities of enrichment was the subject matter of the Parliament at the time; the final verdict however came in 1987 under the auspices of late Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani (then the Parliament Speaker); the first centrifuge machine was imported in 1988; however, not until 2002, had we believed in our capabilities in terms of enriching uranium; in 2003 the international community reacted, with UN Security Council met on Iran's enrichment program, which was the first success, since our nuclear program was solely to be addressed in the IAEA in Vienna," he rejoiced to say.
"The IAEA established a committee to deprive Iran of its nuclear industry which was still incipient; now, the critics had been too pessimistic about the restrictions of the JCPOA on our nuclear industry; we opted for a shortest possible route, and less costly as well, to secure our nuclear rights in the international community; now we have IR8 centrifuge machines and they receive injection of UF6," he continued.
Rouhani used the metaphor of a lavish cloud for the JCPOA which would bring bounty and boons to the country's economy; "Ministry of Defense, Central Bank, Oil Ministry, and other bodies contributed to this deal, which will have the cloud to serve these bodies as they act like trees and grass," he added.
Rouhani then turned to the criticism of the US targeting of Syrian Shayrat airbase on Friday. "The US has not solicited the permission of its Congress and the UN in targeting the Syria; which international organization bestows upon it the status of an international police? The international community is not subject to the US whims and caprice; only terrorists, cut-throats as they had been, rejoiced in the prospects of defeat of Assad; the missile attack violated common sense and the rules of international relations," he objected.
In terms of domestic issues, Rouahni reiterated his calls for unity in the presidential elections in May 19; "all parties have a single objective, to see the religious democracy crystalized in the very act of election; free competitive elections is the best to serve this objective; the higher turnout is welcome; however, as the Leader of the Islamic Republic demanded, the text of the Constitution should be the ultimate guide for any action, and it should be fully complied to," Rouhani concluded.
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