Iran Needs 10 Nuclear Power Plants

TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian Government Spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said that Iran needs 10 nuclear power plants to produce 10,000 megawatts of electricity.

Speaking during his weekly press briefing here on Monday, Elham referred to the operations at the Natanz nuclear facility, and said, “We are moving toward production of nuclear fuel which needs more than 3,000 centrifuges.”

“Iran needs an electricity supply of 10 thousand megawatts by nuclear energy, and in order to supply that, we need 10 nuclear plants,” he added.

Stating that the Islamic Republic seeks to provide for the industrial needs of the country, Elham reiterated Iran’s official stance, saying that its nuclear activities were being supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He further underlined that Iran has not withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but meantime warned that his country is trying to achieve its goals and if it confronts any kind of obstacle in doing so, it will go past those barriers.

“We have not pulled out of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But if they (the West) try to create obstacles then we will go past these barriers,” the spokesman said.

He further mentioned that Iran will announce further progress in its nuclear plans during the Ten-Day Dawn (from February 1 to 11, marking the victory of the Islamic Revolution back in 1979), when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to declare the successful completion of another step in the uranium enriching process.

The IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei recently approved Iran’s new uranium enrichment tests and equipments, and said that “Iran’s second cascade of centrifuges has been installed and is ready to start work.”

So far an unprecedented figure of over 2000 person/day inspections have been carried out of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA and all inspection reports, including those presented by the IAEA Director-General Mohammad ElBaradei to the UNSC and Board of Governors, are in confirmation of Iran’s continued adherence to the IAEA and NPT rules and regulations.

IAEA has stressed that Iran’s nuclear activities, particularly its enrichment programs and activities, are under tight supervision of the Agency, reminding that while uranium must be enriched to a level beyond 90% of purity to be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons, Iran has so far done the enrichment up to the purity level of only 3.5%.

Iran is among the only eight world countries which are equipped with the needed technology for producing a nuclear gas product called UF6.

Elham also stressed that Iranian officials and nation have consensus on access to peaceful nuclear technology.

“The Supreme Leader has drawn up a key strategy on peaceful nuclear energy. No one is authorized to withdraw from it,” he underscored.

Elham also underlined that the UN Security Council Resolution 1737 would leave no impact on the Iranian nation’s move, reminding, “The nuclear technology has been localized in Iran and Tehran could not be deprived of nuclear know-how through sanctions. Iran will continue its nuclear activities within frameworks of international regulations to meet its industrial and scientific demands.”

Elsewhere the government spokesman said that the US raid on Iran’s consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil has happened in blatant violation of the international laws and conventions which establish diplomatic immunity for
representatives of sovereign states.

Describing the raid as “an act of terrorism”, he stressed, “Today, the world knows that the US and the Zionist regimes are the most dangerous regimes for peoples of the world.”

“If US leaders, including President George W Bush, feel endangered by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, such a feeling can only be explained by their inherent opposition to just, peaceful and humane administrations,” Elham said.

He said that Ahmadinejad only propagates “the message of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which is the message of monotheism, peace and justice.”

Elham reiterated, “The US does not have the potential to take harsh measures against Iran. The Untied States’ threats against Iran reveal its weakness and failures.”

Meanwhile, the government spokesman pointed out that Iran is not against talks with the US under fair and proper conditions.

Quoting President Ahmadinejad as saying during his recent interview with the Al Arabiya News Channel that Tehran is not against talks with the US if fair and proper conditions were provided, Elham said that Tehran was “ready to provide any help and make any attempts to ease the pressures currently put on regional states.”

“Americans need to talk with Iran,” he said, and further voiced Tehran’s readiness “to help resolve international problems, establish peace in the region and assist the Iraqi people get rid of the US oppression.

He added “Based on our unchangeable stands as a peace-loving country, we are ready to provide any help, from a position of strength, to restore peace and justice” to the world.