News / Nuclear Energy

Iran can roll back nuclear program if JCPOA breached: Salehi

Wednesday, 20 July 2016 4:24 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 20 July 2016 5:16 PM ]

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran ©Mehr news agency

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has warned that Tehran can roll back its nuclear program if the other side to the country's nuclear agreement violates the deal.

Ali Akbar Salehi told IRIB on Wednesday that Iranian experts have devised a “reversibility” mechanism that would enable Iran to “immediately” return to conditions before the conclusion of the deal if the other side fails to live up to its commitments under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Should something happen that would breach the JCPOA… we are fully capable of rolling back [the Iranian nuclear program],” Salehi said.

He, however, stressed that Tehran has no plans to build a new facility.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Salehi said Iran has witnessed many “contradictions” in comments made by Western governments and officials over the past month.

“We think that something is in the making but we hope it is not true,” he said, censuring a recent report by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on JCPOA implementation.

The report by the UN chief claims that Iran’s ballistic missile launches “are not consistent with the constructive spirit” of the JCPOA, which was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia – plus Germany on July 14, 2015.

Iran and the six world powers started implementing the JCPOA on January 16.

Under the deal, all nuclear-related sanctions imposed on Iran by the European Union, the Security Council and the US should be lifted. Iran has, in return, put some limitations on its nuclear activities.

Washington and the European Union are yet to completely lift sanctions against Iran, months after the agreement went into effect.

The July 18 report by the UN chief has sparked criticism not only from Iran but also from the US and Russia.

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