Iran Atomic Chief announced that the country will produce nuclear fuel for Tehran research reactor that makes medical isotopes within a year.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi says fuel for the Tehran research reactor will be produced within a year.
He also stressed the country's need for 20 percent-enriched uranium required for civilian purposes and noted that Iran has been forced to produce 20 percent-enriched uranium for medical and therapeutic purposes.
Vice President Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran will continue to enrich uranium to the level of 20 percent to produce fuel for the reactor in the capital Tehran, IRNA reported Monday.
"From today, we will produce the complete fuel required for the Tehran research reactor within one year," Salehi said. Salehi said the country has produced 25 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium since it began in February.
Salehi, said Iran has every right to enrich uranium to 20 percent or at any other level.
"It is Iran's right to enrich uranium not only to the level of 20 percent but also to any level for peaceful affairs," he said.
"We had announced from the beginning that we did not seek to enrich uranium to a level of 20 percent and the entire world knows that," said the AEOI chief.
"when we sent a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency last year in order to provide fuel for Tehran reactor, the countries which could produce such fuel laid down unacceptable conditions before us," explained Salehi.
Salehi also said Tehran has begun to design a reactor similar to that of the Tehran research reactor in order to be able to produce medical radioisotopes for patients but didn't elaborate.
ILNA