Iran Rebuts Bolton’s Claims, Says All Countries Can Enrich Uranium

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, says enrichment of uranium for peaceful purposes is the right of all parties to the NPT, and this right cannot be denied of or given to any country.

He said the Americans did not believe in such a right under the NPT, but the Islamic Republic in 2012 forced them to assert Iran has that right and then sit down at the negotiating table.

His comments came after US National Security Advisor John Bolton negated Iran’s right to enrich uranium.

Shamkhani stressed on Saturday that Washington’s accepting of Iran’s legal right to enrich uranium was a condition for its participation in the nuclear talks.

“The P5+1 countries endorsed Iran’s legal right to enrich uranium in the nuclear deal and they have accepted that,” Shamkhani went on to say.

“The remarks by the US National Security Advisor, who denied Iran’s right to enrich uranium, are an example of non-compliance, unilateralism, and rejection of a set of international norms.”

The Iranian top security official said such statements are not of any legal credence.

Such statements show that Iran’s move to reduce its JCPOA commitments is the only way to deal with a country that does not accept any commitment, concluded Shamkhani.

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