Iran's Intention to Develop Nuclear Propulsion Does Not Violate JCPOA - Diplomat

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier Tuesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, to start developing a nuclear propulsion unit for ships in response to a possible JCPOA violation by the United States.

"The development of marine propulsion systems is each state's own business, we may only assess such intentions from the viewpoint of Tehran's compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to settle the situation around Iran's nuclear program," the source told RIA Novosti. "The construction of propulsion units, strictly speaking, does not contradict this plan," he said.

The source added that production of highly enriched nuclear fuel for propulsion units, used for maritime transport, icebreakers or submarines, in Iran is prohibited.

Rouhani earlier threatened the US with response measures if US President Barack Obama signed the law on the extension of sanctions against Iran. Rouhani's statement came amid Obama's plans to sign the law on the extension by 10 years of sanctions against Iran, adopted by both houses of Congress. According to the Iranian president, the US intentions violate an earlier adopted agreement, which envisions that a number of sanctions be lifted from Iran.

Iran and the six international mediators reached on July 14, 2015 a historic agreement on the settlement of the long-term Iranian nuclear problem. A Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was adopted, the implementation of which removes the previously imposed economic and financial sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States and the European Union from Iran. The plan took effect on January 16.

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