TEHRAN - Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has said that U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton’s remarks that Iran should not be allowed to enrich uranium “have no legal credibility”.

Bolton tweeted on Thursday that Iran should not have been allowed to maintain enrichment capabilities in the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

“One of the worst mistakes of the Iran deal, now on full display, was allowing Iran to maintain enrichment capabilities. There should be no enrichment for Iran. Maximum pressure continues until Iran abandons its nuclear ambitions & malign activities,” Bolton tweeted.

Shamkhani said, “Remarks made by the U.S. national security adviser in which he denies Iran’s rights to enrich uranium are symbols of falsity, unilateralism and violation of international norms and lack any legal credibility.”

He noted that any country which is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty is legally entitled to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes.

He added that Iran’s right to enrich uranium has been recognized in the JCPOA and also in the 2231 resolution of the UN Security Council.

The security chief added if this right was not recognized Iran would have not entered nuclear talks which produced the JCPOA.

According to the NPT, even NPT signatories mastering nuclear technology are duty bound to help others to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

“….. in furtherance of this principle, all Parties to the Treaty are entitled to participate in the fullest possible exchange of scientific information for, and to contribute alone or in co-operation with other States to, the further development of the applications of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.”

NA/PA