A senior nuclear official said on Saturday Iran has the capability of restoring its uranium enrichment operations and even developing its capacity if the nuclear deal with world powers fails as a result of the US non-compliance with its undertakings.
"We don't have any problems technically. We were moving normally in the past but if we want to ramp up, we can go up the ladder and develop 100,000 SWUs (Separative Work Units of enrichment capacity) in one and a half years and change the core of the [Arak heavy water] reactor, too," said Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Fars News Agency reported.
"Iran has already gone along the lengthy path of developing its civilian nuclear technology. For instance, it took Tehran five years to plan and design to build the core of the Arak heavy water reactor, but it will take only one and a half years now to rebuild it because the plans and infrastructures are already there."
The spokesman added that it would not take long for Iran to revive all its past nuclear capabilities if the deal fails.
Kamalvandi cautioned the world powers that concluded last year's nuclear deal with Iran, namely the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, to remain committed to the landmark accord or face Iran's reciprocal measure and resumption of its nuclear program development.
Iran complains that due to the remaining western restrictions, it is not fully benefitting from the sanctions relief it was promised under the deal.
