Iranian Supreme Leader’s top advisor for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati underlined that the nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers has further empowered the country, allowing it to increase aid and assistance to its regional allies.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will support the resistance front and of course, with the nuclear agreement, it will have more power for partnership and supporting its friends in the region,” Velayati said, addressing an international religious forum in Tehran on Saturday.

He referred to attempts by Western states and the reactionary regional states to overthrow the Syrian government, and said they have already failed to attain their goal.

Yet, he warned that Iran and its allies might face more challenges than in the past, and added, “The resistance front is in a much better and stronger shape and situation than the past.”

[…]

Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi underlined that Iran has prepared itself for all scenarios of nuclear agreement.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has maintained its preparedness for all scenarios and in case of any special incident it will decide about it,” Araghchi told IRNA Saturday in reaction to recent statements by US senators about the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers (the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany).

Asked about presenting the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to parliament, the Iranian deputy foreign minister responded that the Foreign Ministry has nothing to do with it and the government should take measure in this regard.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready for all scenarios.

Iran has launched a plan to build a major specialized nuclear hospital in the near future, says the country’s nuclear chief.

“Work will soon get underway to construct the hospital,” said Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi, adding the plan has been given the all-clear by President Hassan Rouhani as well.

Among the objectives of Iran’s nuclear program is to use nuclear technology in the field of medicine, namely research and development as well as production of radio pharmaceuticals.

Iran only ME country producing radio pharmaceuticals

The top official further underlined that over a million patients in the country are using locally-produced radio pharmaceuticals, adding Iran is the only producer of such medicines in the Middle East.

“No other country in the Middle East is capable of doing this,” said Salehi, adding Iran is exporting radio pharmaceuticals as well.

The radio pharmaceuticals produced by Iran are up to par, said the AEOI chief; however, he noted, the country has set in motion a plan to standardize domestically-produced radio pharmaceuticals, so that they will measure up to international standards and set the stage for the Islamic Republic to become a major exporter in the field.

Iran’s centrifuges

Salehi further touched on untiring efforts by local scientists to develop centrifuges as part of the country’s peaceful nuclear drive and Iran has manufactured and tested eight generations of centrifuges since 1990, adding the ones which prove successful are gradually identified during the process, which “takes time.”

“The IR6 and IR8 machines (centrifuges) are promising and can be used in the future,” the AEOI chief said.

[…]

Iran to master nuclear fuel cycle

Salehi also underlined that Iran is working to master the nuclear fuel cycle, expressing hope that the country will be able to “complete the fuel cycle” through international cooperation and having restrictions removed.

“We will speak with Russians on [Tehran-Moscow] cooperation in the near future to produce several [nuclear] fuel assemblies annually,” said the AEOI chief.

He also said Iran, in cooperation with China, is to construct a complex in the central Iranian city of Arak, which will move the country ahead several decades given the technology involved.

Talks are also underway with China on the construction of two other power plants in Iran, Salehi noted.

Iran not after nukes

Salehi further reiterated Iran’s position that it is not pursuing atomic weapons, recalling a fatwa by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, which forbids the development and use of nuclear arms.

Iran has announced time and again that it is not seeking to produce nuclear weapons as development of nukes runs counter to both humanitarian principles and religious precepts.