DOHA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2019) Iran is going to modernize its heavy water reactor in Arak outside the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), given the current situation around the deal, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an interview with Sputnik.
"One of the projects inside the nuclear deal is Arak [reactor] modernization project. We have a heavy water reactor near the city of Arak, and, according to the JCPOA, this reactor should be modernized. We have joined a working group in the JCPOA, chaired by China and the United Kingdom, in order to do this job and they had to help Iran with modernizing this project. Unfortunately, because of the US pressure and sanctions, this project has not moved forward very well. So, we have told the remaining [JCPOA] participants that we will, after 60 days from May 8, go back to the previous project. We don't count on JCPOA and JCPOA participants on Arak project anymore. We will do it by ourselves," Araghchi said.
The deputy foreign minister stressed that Iran would use "previous" technologies, since it was not familiar with new ones.
"The new Arak heavy water [reactor] is in fact on initial stages. We are still working on the design of the new reactor. As I have said, the job is very slow, but we cannot wait anymore. As the second step, after 60 days from May 8, we will end our cooperation with JCPOA participants on Arak heavy water [reactor] project," Araghchi added.
