Mehrdad Bazrpash, a member of the parliament’s presiding board, told Tasnim that the lawmakers took a tour of the nuclear facility on Monday and observed the heart of the heavy water reactor, which has been a source of debate and concern in the legislature.
The 15 parliamentarians in the special commission are evaluating a nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany), known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Some voice concern that the decision to fill the heart of Arak’s heavy water reactor with cement as part of a redesigning process under the JCPOA would spell a self-harm that ruins the efforts by the local scientists.
Diplomats, however, have given an assurance that the technical process does not have any negative impact on the plant’s utility, but only allays the concerns of Westerners about the possibility of weapons-grade plutonium production.
According to the JCPOA, “Iran will redesign and rebuild a modernized heavy water research reactor in Arak, based on an agreed conceptual design, using fuel enriched up to 3.67 %, in a form of an international partnership which will certify the final design.”
The JCPOA stipulates that, “Except for the first core load, all of the activities for redesigning and manufacturing of the fuel assemblies for the redesigned reactor will be carried out in Iran… This international partnership will include participating E3/EU+3 parties, Iran and such other countries as may be mutually determined.”