Iran Threatens to Dismantle Monitoring Cameras of IAEA in Its Nuclear Facilities

Mojtaba Dhu al-Nur, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Islamic Consultative Assembly ( the Iranian Parliament), threatened to dismantle the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) surveillance cameras at nuclear facilities if sanctions continued.

The Iranian lawmaker pointed out that the additional protocol will also be suspended by February 21 in the event that sanctions against Iran are not lifted.

Dhul-Nur stressed that Tehran's cooperation with international inspectors will be limited to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), only if oil sanctions are not lifted and banking relations with Iran normalize by February 21.

He said that the Iranian government is obligated to implement the law passed earlier by the council and in the event that the international agency refuses to dismantle the surveillance cameras and stop the implementation of the additional protocol, it will be prosecuted according to the parliamentary legislation.

On the other hand,  the Iranian Foreign Ministry said earlier Tuesday that Tehran is committed to producing uranium metal and advanced fuel for peaceful purposes only.

In response to the statement of the European Troika, the ministry pointed out that the production of uranium metal comes within the implementation of parliamentary law, and that it will inform the IAEA  about the details of uranium metal production after the initial procedures and within the legal period specified by the parliamentary legislation.

The Iranian  Foreign Ministry indicated that the report submitted by the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization to the IAEA is related to the start of research to produce advanced "silicide" fuel in the Tehran Research Reactor and not on the production of uranium metal, noting that the uranium metal has peaceful uses and some countries are currently using its fuel in their reactors.

The three European countries that have signed the nuclear agreement with Iran have criticized Tehran's plans to start producing uranium metal.

United Kingdom, France, and Germany stated in a joint statement that "Iran has no credible civilian uses for the uranium metal, and the production of uranium metal has potentially dangerous military aspects."