File photo: A general view of the Arak heavy-water project
The U.K. will help Iran modify its Arak nuclear reactor after the U.S. withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers earlier this year, Iranian officials announced Wednesday.
“The U.K. has replaced the U.S. in a working group tasked with modifying the Arak heavy reactor,” Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency, was quoted as saying by Iran’s Mehr News Agency.
In mid-2015, Iran signed the landmark nuclear deal with the P5 1 group of nations (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany).
The agreement had placed tight restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief.
In May of this year, however, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from the agreement, which he had earlier described as the “worst deal ever”.
Under the agreement’s terms, U.S. and Chinese experts had been tasked with modifying Iran’s heavy-water Arak reactor with a view to reducing its plutonium yield.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Wednesday it will continue increasing the country's defensive capabilities, and will not surrender to pressure over its missile programme."(Iran’s) missile programme has turned into the main challenge of the enemies of the Iranian nation, especially the United States, the Zionist regime (of Israel) and the Saudi rulers..."Increasing defensive capabilities will remain the main strategy of the armed forces," the IRGC said in a statement carried by the Tasnim news agency.Germany calls for end to US dominance in global financeBolton reaffirms US not seeking regime change in IranIran cleric says Israel and US will be targeted if Washington attacks
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says will raise defensive capabilities