TEHRAN – President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the common name for the 2015 nuclear deal, completely legalized nuclear technology in Iran and this was a great achievement that happened during his early years as president.

Rouhani made the remarks as Iran marked National Nuclear Technology Day on Saturday.

“One of the honorable results of the JCPOA was that it fully legalized nuclear industry in Iran,” the president remarked. 

Rouhani said, “This was great thing that was done in this time.”

The JCPOA was concluded on July 14, 2015 between Iran and the 5+1 nations, and the European Union. It was endorsed by United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231. However, former U.S. president Donald Trump abandoned the deal in violation of international law and this led to many consequences.  

Rouhani said nuclear technology is among superior technologies but since the other sides have used this technology for building atomic weapons have been pressing Iran and “put us parallel with themselves”.

 ‘16 years of problems for the Iranian nation’

The president went on to say that “unwarranted worries” about Iran’s nuclear program have created problems for the Iranian nation for more than 16 years.

The nuclear negotiations with the European Union first started in 2013.

“If the other side thinks properly, they will realize that their worries are unwarranted. These unwarranted worries have caused problems for the Iranian nation for 16 years,” the president remarked.

The president added if this “wrong assumption” had not been in “their minds” and paid attention to the history of the Iranian nation they would have become assured that the Iranian nation pays special attention to “religious and ethical issues”.

Noting that Iran’s nuclear policy is transparent, he said nuclear technology has applications in agriculture, medicine, electricity production, etc. 

Negotiations have started since April 2 to revitalize the JCPOA as President Joe Biden, a Democrat who served as Barack Obama’s right-hand man, has expressed willingness to renter the U.S. into the agreement that Trump abandoned.

Rouhani said the fact that Iran is still negotiating with the West, including Americans, is that they have “created problems and caused concerns for themselves” about Iran’s nuclear program.

However, it should be noted that in the ongoing talks in Vienna there is no direct talks between the Iranian and American sides. Iran has linked direct talks to a full termination of U.S. illegal sanctions.

Rouhani added, “I reiterated once again that all of our nuclear activities are peaceful and for non-military purposes. And as the Supreme Leader have announced several times, in our sharia view seeking nuclear arms that can pose great danger for the world is haram (forbidden).”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president said the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United States, Europe and industrialized countries are indebted to Iran for failing to help Iran in the nuclear industry.

Iran joined the NPT, acted based on the IAEA Safeguards Agreement and voluntarily agreed to surprise inspections based on the Additional Protocol to the NPT to receive technological support but this did not happen, the president explained.

Rouhani, who was Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator during the Khatami administration from 2013-2015, said the duty of the IAEA is not just inspection and it should provide technical services to NPT signatories.

He added Iran has single-handedly manufactured 15 kinds of centrifuge machines without any technical support by the IAEA and countries with nuclear technology, saying they have shunned their responsibility in this regard.

The world failed to help Iran in manufacturing centrifuges, stabile isotopes, heavy water reactor, the president lamented.

“That today we say we are ready to voluntarily implement the Additional Protocol and the Agency have the highest supervisions its reward is not that the world say we will not sanction your commercial and economic activities.”

Addressing the West, the IAEA and countries mastering nuclear technology, Rouhani said, “You are indebted to us. You are not creditor.”

PA/PA