“Everyone should know that the nuclear fuel cycle is a power-generating one, and has nothing to do with building a bomb. They level spurious allegations against Iran and wrongfully accuse us of attempts to produce a nuclear bomb only because they do not want us to acquire nuclear technology,” Mohammad Eslami said in an address to the Iranian education sector's directors in Tehran on Sunday.
“Despite fierce opposition expressed in recent years to Iran’s heavy water production, we have managed to build on our relevant expertise both in the atomic industry and molecular sector. Nuclear technology is a lucrative business and can be used in various spheres. It can be tapped to develop the country’s power,” Eslami said.
“The West is seeking to tighten the screws on Iran. We should act sensibly and reasonably so that the Islamic Republic continues to tread the path of progress and excellence on the basis of national interests, and improves in all arenas,” he noted.
He said Western countries are using the pretext that Tehran is after developing a nuclear bomb and opposing Iran's production of heavy water as they know that it is a manifestation of its scientific power.
Eslami noted the West is against Iran's entry into the field of new and emerging technologies as such an achievement will place the country at the top echelon of powerful countries.
The AEOI chief said while Iran's nuclear industry accounts for less than 2% of the world's nuclear capacity it is subjected to the most restricted nuclear inspections, noting that 25% of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) inspections have been conducted in Iran.
ZZ/PR