IRAN: Nuclear secrets or nuclear pride?

Ali Asghar Soltanieh:I am thankful that you challenge me. That’s what I really love, to be challenged either by journalists or even in many, many countries I go, universities, parliaments, because otherwise this question would be unanswered. Since six years ago, they spoke about ‘concealment by Iran.’ ... I categorically reject ‘concealment’ as far as our legal obligation is concerned. When in 2003 this matter was reflected to the world ... we were only under the comprehensive safeguards of the [Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty], and according to that, all countries are only obliged to report to the agency, 180 days, before they put nuclear material in any nuclear installations. Therefore, in 2003 [IAEA Director-General Mohamed] ElBaradei was invited, invited by us, to come to the Natanz enrichment facility, and to see the achievements that these machines are rotating 1,000 rotation per second, as a great success. Mr. ElBaradei as a top legal expert did not say, ‘You have violated your NPT obligation,’ because Natanz still was not receiving nuclear material. Legally, you have to understand, we have not had violations. Never, ever [have] the agency or Director-General [ElBaradei] used the notion of noncompliance. Any country might have failure. There were a series of failures. For example, Iran was supposed to report receiving the material 12 years ago, but it reported 10 years ago. These are failures. According to statute and according to safeguard agreement, corrective measures will clean everything. It means as soon as you report, it’s OK.

Soltanieh: Confidence is two-way road, it’s not one-way. We have had before a revolution, a lack of confidence and a history of adversity with Americans, occupying Iran during the shah’s regime, making a coup d’etat, interfering to our internal affairs. Over 40,000 military advisors were in Iran, all different sectors they were influencing. After the revolution, the West did not continue their legal obligations for nuclear contracts in different areas of nuclear energy, including the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The Germans had received over 7 billion deutschemark, and they left it alone, they left us alone.... Bear in mind the fact that there is a serious concern about leak of confidential information. We wanted to make sure that we get this achievement, everything is ready for inviting the IAEA to visit, to inform the whole world of our success.... How can the people believe that you call this matter ‘a concealment’ when by satellite one could read the nameplates of the cars? ... This is ridiculous. I can tell you that, in 2003, when we were going with the car, with the inspectors and the officers of the agency ... and you have some sort of area on the right, deserts, and then all of a sudden then these buildings start. This is nothing hidden. Just next to the main road, everybody was seeing it every day. Many of these buses going there, the bus driver was calling out, ‘Atomic station, anybody want to go out?’ In all nuclear [facilities] of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran -- in Esfahan, in Tehran, in Karaj, in Bushehr, in Arak -- everything has a large plate with the name, ‘Atomic Energy Organization of Iran,’ and then the center of so and so. Therefore, everybody, every individual, can see it. We have nothing to hide. In fact, we are proud. We want the whole world to know that we have been successful in nuclear technology.