The AEOI is capable of redesigning the heavy water research reactor in Arak under the 2015 nuclear deal without the participation of other signatories, says a senior official.
"Iranian engineers and experts are capable of redesigning the Arak reactor without the assistance of other countries," Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in an interview with ISNA published on Friday.
He made the comments after western diplomats told Reuters that US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran deal—which triggers the possibility of sanctions against the AEOI—may hinder the project.
Under the nuclear accord, the Arak reactor was to be redesigned to render it unable to make bomb-grade plutonium under normal operation. Iran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons.
The restoration of US sanctions on AEOI would expose non-US companies to the risk of punishment by the United States for dealing with it, including Chinese state-owned China National Nuclear Corp., which is involved in the project.
*** Redesign Approval
Kamalvandi said the project is currently being executed by Iranians and that the other participants in the nuclear deal only "approve" the work.
China and the US had been selected to communicate the other parties' decisions and views regarding the Arak project to Iran, and so another member may be chosen in the future to replace the US now that it is out of the agreement, he added.
*** UNSC Resolution
He noted that under Article 14 of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which underpins the nuclear agreement formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the contract with China will not be subject to UN sanctions.
Article says that the application of the provisions of previous resolutions do not apply with retroactive effect to contracts signed between any party and Iran or Iranian individuals and entities prior to the date of application, provided that the activities contemplated under and execution of such contracts are consistent with the JCPOA and the UN resolutions.
Sanctions that would prevent companies from dealing with AEOI are due to be reimposed no later than November 5.
*** Unilateral Sanctions
The AEOI official said Washington may use other means to exert pressure on those working with Iranian entities.
He said, "There is a possibility that the United States would want to pressure other countries into aligning themselves with it through unilateral sanctions. But it is very unlikely that a country like China would agree to act in accordance with US demands without a UN Security Council resolution."
*** Nuclear Cooperation
Some western media outlets are seeking to cast doubt on the future of Iran's nuclear cooperation with other countries, he told the news agency.
However, the country is determined to develop its nuclear energy program even in the worst conditions, Kamalvandi noted.
Russia's Rosatom is also involved in nonproliferation work in Iran at the Fordow fuel enrichment plant, which was to stop enriching uranium and be converted into a nuclear, physics and technology centre under the agreement.
*** Cause for Concern
At a recent meeting in Vienna, the non-US parties to the deal—Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and Iran—discussed the subject extensively, with Beijing and Moscow stressing their concerns, Reuters reported, citing European diplomats.
The US, which initially led a working group to redesign the Arak reactor with China, did not attend the Vienna talks.
Beijing's envoy to the talks told reporters on Friday that the parties needed to find a co-chair for Arak to move forward.
The agreement between Iran and world powers lifted international sanctions on Tehran. In return, Iran agreed to restrictions on its nuclear activities.
Trump abandoned the agreement on May 8, arguing that he wanted a bigger deal that not only limited Iran's atomic work but also reined in its regional influence and ballistic missile program, which Tehran says is not up for negotiation. The remaining parties are trying to keep the deal alive.
