Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said Iran as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has the right to develop its civilian nuclear program which, of course, should be respected by the world states based on the same treaty.
Speaking at a ceremony on Friday, Salehi reaffirmed the Iranian nation’s determination to uphold its unalienable nuclear rights, noting that nuclear energy program tops Iran's agenda.
“The nuclear decisions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its programs have already become operational and they are irreversible. Therefore, the international community should respect the nuclear cycle and the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear energy (program),” he underlined.
On November 24, Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members- Russia, China, France, Britain and the US - plus Germany sealed an interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the dispute between the West and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
In exchange for Iran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities, the six countries undertook to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
