Iran to follow own nuclear path – top energy official
Iran will continue its peaceful nuclear program regardless of foreign pressure, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has told RT in an exclusive interview. His comments come as Tehran announced it will halt cooperation on nuclear inspections following new sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council.
Last week, Britain, France, and Germany triggered the so-called “snapback” mechanism, part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and world powers to limit its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The move has led to the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran, and derailed a recent agreement between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resume inspections of Iranian nuclear sites.
Eslami accused the West of double standards and repeated violations of past agreements, stressing that “Iran has always unilaterally fulfilled its commitments and they've never fulfilled theirs.”
He also condemned the US for consistently trying to harm Iran through “sanctions, aggression, war, conflict and conspiracy.”
Eslami dismissed Washington’s recent calls for Tehran to dismantle its uranium enrichment program, stating that remarks from US officials are “of no importance to us. We do not take orders from anyone.”
He claimed that Iran's nuclear program is and has always been peaceful. He also denied that recent US-Israeli airstrikes had crippled Iran’s nuclear program, stating that while some people and buildings may have been eliminated, “knowledge is in the souls and minds of our scientists” which “cannot be destroyed.”
Russia and China have opposed the sanctions, with Moscow’s UN envoy stating that Russia does not recognize the snapback procedure as legal. Tehran, meanwhile, has argued that more than 130 countries condemned the attacks on its nuclear facilities, which it said shows the majority of the world supports Iran’s position.
Eslami concluded that Iran remains ready to negotiate but will not abandon its rights. “Our path and our programs are clear,” he said, stressing that the nuclear program will continue under Iranian control despite sanctions, strikes, and threats.
