The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, told CBS News that Iran will “never stop” enriching uranium.
Speaking to Margaret Brennan of “Face the Nation,” Iravani said the Non-Proliferation Treaty “means that the right of one side will be the obligation of the other sides,” noting that rights granted by the treaty include Iran’s ability to “research on development, we can have the production of uranium, and we can have – use the peaceful energy” and the “legal protection by the IAEA for our activity and technical corporations for our development programs.”
“So, the enrichment is our right. An inalienable right. And we want to implement this right,” Iravani stated.
When asked by Brennan if Iran intends to restart enrichment, Iravani declared that he believes enrichment will “never stop.”
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi confirmed last week that the nuclear setback inflicted on Iran marks a turning point. “I think the Iranian nuclear program has been set back significantly, significantly,” he said, describing the transformation as “one Iran—before June 13, nuclear Iran—and one now.”
The UN agency found “extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran,” noting radioactive material releases contained on-site. Engineers detected “two impact holes from the U.S. strikes” at Natanz enrichment facilities. Such physical evidence undercuts claims that the strikes inflicted only limited harm.
Iran has also moved to ban the IAEA from working with its government in inspecting nuclear facilities.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said prior to the vote that the IAEA, “which did not even formally condemn the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, has put its international credibility up for sale; for this reason, the AEOI will suspend its cooperation with the Agency until the security of its nuclear facilities is guaranteed, and Iran’s peaceful nuclear program will proceed at an even faster pace.”
