TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who attended a session of the Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee on Monday described the incident at the Natanz enrichment facility as a “nuclear terrorism”.

Iran's response to the sabotage act is to use this threat as an opportunity to install newer and more advanced centrifuges at the nuclear enrichment facility, parliamentary committee spokesman Abolfazl Amouei quoted Zarif as telling the MPs present at the session.

“About the incident at the Natanz nuclear site, Mr. Zarif said that different aspects of the incident are being investigated, but initial assessments indicate that criminal acts and nuclear terrorism have taken place, which is why it could be harmful. Although no material leaks occurred, they tried to influence the nuclear program and the enrichment process at the Natanz nuclear site by sabotaging the electricity,” Amouei said.

Amouei added, “According to Mr. Zarif, Iran's response will be that, first, enrichment will not stop at all. We are trying to turn this threat into an opportunity by replacing first generation centrifuges with newer, more powerful ones.” 

Zarif attended the parliamentary committee to give answers about the Natanz incident, the comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and the nuclear deal talks in Vienna. 

“The meeting addressed three issues: The comprehensive Iran-China cooperation plan signed in Tehran between the foreign ministers of the two countries; the process of Iran-P4 + 1 talks in Vienna; and the events that took place yesterday at the Natanz nuclear site of Shahid Ahmadi Roshan and the reactions that the Islamic Republic should show,” he said.

Amouei said Foreign Minister Zarif sees China as a power horse in the global community.  

“The foreign minister said that China is recognized as an important country in the future and in the international order, so we must turn our relations with the Chinese into an independent and stable relationship, regardless of the positions of other countries.”

The parliamentary committee spokesman added, “According to the explanations provided by the minister, this comprehensive cooperation plan includes the views of the two countries to develop cooperation. A plan that helps us have long-term stable relations between Iran and China. Mr. Zarif then presented a report on the process of talks between the two countries in recent years. Mr. Xi Jinping's visit to Tehran in 2016 has been effective in promoting Iran-China cooperation to the level of strategic cooperation.”

Amouei said Zarif also presented an elaborate report on the talks in Vienna and ruling out “step by step agreement” for a possible revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.

“Mr. Zarif pointed out that at present we do not accept the idea of a step-by-step agreement and we do not accept any intermediate step to fulfill the U.S. obligations. Iran’s policy is that all sanctions should be lifted verifiably. For this reason, three issues are discussed in the Iran-P4 + 1 talks. The first is what sanctions need to be lifted, the second is what Iran's actions will be in the nuclear matter, and the third is what the verification mechanism is. These three issues need to be discussed between Iran and the P4 + 1.”

Senior MP continued, “In this context, Mr. Zarif emphasized that in our view, the actions related to Iran in the JCPOA have been clarified precisely and the actions of the other side must be accurately identified. In addition, there is no direct or indirect dialogue between Iran and the United States in these negotiations, and the parties to the Iranian dialogue are the P4 + 1 countries. It is they who must demand actions from the United States in their own way. Iran's actions are clear.”

In this meeting, the members of the National Security Committee and other representatives present at the meeting expressed their views and opinions. They emphasized maintaining the principled positions of Iran in the negotiations and demanded the lifting of all sanctions and their careful verification, and then action on behalf of our country. They also stressed the need for strict implementation of the law on Strategic Action for Lifting Sanctions.

According to Amouei, the representatives also discussed the Kamal Khan Dam in Afghanistan, the foreign minister's talks with officials in Central Asian countries, and the issue of Iranian prisoners abroad, to which Zarif responded.

SA/PA