WANA (Oct 15) – Mohammad Eslami, Vice President of Iran and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), emphasized that the basis for Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the Strategic Action Plan to Lift Sanctions passed by the Iranian Parliament. He stated that as long as the Agency does not fulfill its legal obligations toward Iran, this law cannot be implemented.

 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday (October 15), Eslami said: “The parliamentary law has set two conditions for cooperation with the Agency, and the authority to assess them lies with the AEOI’s report and the approval of the Supreme National Security Council. So far, the IAEA has not fulfilled its legal duties.”

 

Eslami added: “We have asked the Agency to condemn attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and issue an official statement on the protection of our nuclear information. However, none of these requests have been met so far. Therefore, the presence of IAEA inspectors is not carried out based on their own programs; inspections only take place in cases approved by the Supreme National Security Council, such as at the Bushehr facility and the Tehran reactor.”

People walk past a billboard with a picture of nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes and Iranian centrifuges, on a street in Tehran, Iran August 29, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)

Opening of a New Radiation Center in Ardabil

In another part of his remarks, Eslami announced the opening of a new radiation center in Ardabil, saying: “As part of the national radiation development program, this center will be launched soon. With the operation of this system, part of the country’s challenges in agricultural product preservation will be resolved. This initiative is part of the broader plan to establish twelve radiation zones across Iran.”

 

New Iran–Russia Agreement for Large-Scale Power Plants

Regarding Iran–Russia nuclear cooperation, Eslami explained: “Since the 2000s, the two countries have had an agreement to build eight large-scale power plants. Four units with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts are planned in Bushehr, and the locations for four other units have been designated in eastern Hormozgan Province.”

 

He added: “The recent memorandum of understanding between Iran and Russia emphasizes accelerating the implementation of these projects. Moreover, the second part of this agreement concerns small modular reactors (SMRs), which will be added as an annex to the main contract. The final negotiations have been completed, and the official text is expected to be signed in the coming days. The pilot site for this project has been identified in northern Iran, and if successful, small reactors will be expanded to other industrial and mining regions across the country.”