TEHRAN – Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano discussed on Sunday Tehran’s announced decision to begin working on a marine nuclear propulsion program. 

“We discussed the propulsion plan in details,” said Salehi at a press conference with Amano in Tehran on Sunday.

 Last week President Hassan Rouhani ordered the development of a nuclear-propulsion system for vessels, describing the move as a retaliatory response to the recent extension of sanctions by the U.S. Congress for another ten years. 

Iran says the sanctions renewal breaches an international nuclear deal finalized between the country and six world powers, including the U.S. 

Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, Tehran accepted limits on its nuclear program in exchange for termination of Western-led economic and financial sanctions. 

Rouhani also requested a study of fuel production for the propulsion system and set a three-month deadline for a progress report on both steps. 

While the U.S. said the announcement by Iran didn’t contravene the nuclear deal, people familiar with the issue say to develop heavy propulsion systems Iran may need to go beyond a 3.67-percnet uranium enrichment level permissible by the nuclear pact.  

On what grade of uranium would be used for the propulsion system, Salehi said it will be a function of uses depicted for vessels to be equipped with such systems. 

“Usually, such propulsion systems are fuelled with uranium enriched between 5-90 percent depending on what type of uses they are put to and when,” he said.

“We definitely will do that (the propulsion project) in accordance with Safeguards Agreement.” 

Mounting tensions over the nuclear deal come as Mr. Trump prepares to take office. He has suggested he will be more antagonistic to Iran than his predecessor Barack Obama, who championed the nuclear deal. 

AK/PA