Iran intends to restart activities at Arak heavy water nuclear reactor: ISNA

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor, the ISNA news agency reported.

ISNA cited a member of parliament who attended the meeting. Heavy water can be employed in reactors to produce plutonium, a fuel used in nuclear warheads.

During Sunday’s meeting of the “independent” faction of the parliament, the topic of the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor was discussed with Salehi, and the decision was made to restart activities at the nuclear reactor, said the spokesman for the “independent” faction of the Iranian parliament, Mehrdad Lahouti, according to ISNA.

According to Lahouti, Salehi emphasized on the need to continue nuclear activities, saying that Iran has no choice but to continue producing nuclear energy.

“Currently, the enemies of Iran are aware that we have the knowledge and ability to produce nuclear energy, but we do not intend to produce nuclear weapons because of religious reasons,” Lahouti qouted Salehi as saying.

In May, Iran announced planned measures to breach the nuclear agreement with major world powers following the US withdrawal from deal and Washington’s re-imposition of tough sanctions.

On July 3, President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran would increase its uranium enrichment levels and start to revive its Arak heavy-water reactor after July 7 if the nations in the nuclear pact did not protect trade with Iran promised under the deal but blocked by the US sanctions.

- With Reuters