Iran will decommission centrifuges at nuclear facilities only a few days after the UN nuclear agency announces the closure of Tehran's past nuclear case, deputy chairman of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said on Friday.
Sanctions relief to which Iran is entitled in return for temporary limitations on its nuclear work under the July 14 deal with major powers is pending a final assessment report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked with probing what it calls possible military dimensions (PMD) of Iran's past nuclear program.
Tehran denies its nuclear activities may have any military aspects.
A roadmap agreement signed between Iran and the IAEA alongside the larger deal envisaged a mid-December deadline for the agency to submit its report for action by the board of governors.
"Within 40 days, after the PMD issue is settled, we will begin removing centrifuges," Mansour Haqiqatpour said in an interview with ICANA.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions, as the nuclear pact is officially called, has committed Iran to certain measures, including taking offline about two-thirds of its installed centrifuges at Fordo and Natanz sites and redesigning the Arak heavy water reactor.
The sanctions will be actually removed on Implementation Day, after Iran has completed its measures.
Leader of the Islamic Revolutiaon Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei wrote a letter to President Hassan Rouhani late last month, making Iran's action regarding centrifuges and the Arak reactor subject to the conclusion of the IAEA's consideration of Iran's nuclear past.
Timeline for Reactor Redesign
In a separate development, lawmaker Abbasali Mansouri Arani told IRNA that in compliance with the Leader's directives, work on the Arak facility will not commence until the UN agency's investigation is completed.
"We are waiting for the PMD report to be finalized before we launch the redesign of the Arak heavy water reactor. Iran will lead the project, which will be implemented by a consortium," Arani said.
"That is, other countries are supposed to assist Iran with the design, implementation and standardization."
Consistent with the JCPOA, Iran, China and the US, which are to cooperate on the Arak reactor project, released a joint statement in this regard on Oct. 18. According to the statement, pursuant to the deal, Iran will take the leadership role as the manager of the project, with the support of other JCPOA participants.
International parties to the action plan (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) are to set up a working group before Implementation Day to assume their respective roles in the project, said the statement carried by the US Department of Energy website.
