Iran says 300 nuclear sites scattered across country
Tehran, Iran, Jan. 16 – A top commander in Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic has more than 300 nuclear sites scattered across the country, Iran Focus has learnt.
Speaking at a seminar in the northern city of Rasht, Brigadier General Mostafa Haji-Najjar, deputy director of the IRGC’s political bureau, also said that Iran had “an absolute right” to develop nuclear bombs.
The senior IRGC commander said that despite the high costs of construction and maintenance of nuclear sites, these installations have been dispersed in more than 300 sites across the country.
“Because of the sensitivity of these sites and their installations, their distribution comes at a high cost for the government. For example, for each of these sites air defence systems must be designed, and these are very expensive. But our nuclear sites are not just limited to several cities such as Isfahan, Natanz, Arak, and Ardakan. We have nuclear sites at more than 300 locations throughout the country”, Haji-Najjar said.
“Since the Islamic Republic of Iran is under the atomic umbrella of and neighbours with countries such as Pakistan, many foreign geopolitical analysts believe that Iran has an absolute right to have nuclear bombs”, Haji-Najjar said.
The seminar, which was organised by the paramilitary Bassij force in Gilan Province, was held at Qods Mosque in Rasht.
Haji-Najjar said that since the election of former Revolutionary Guards commander Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new president, the West has become increasingly concerned over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
“Unfortunately, the last [nuclear] negotiations team included individuals that easily retreated when faced with European and American positions. One of them is even currently facing corruption charges”, he said, referring to former nuclear negotiator Sirus Nasseri.
Haji-Najjar said that Iran’s previous nuclear negotiators failed to show resilience and determination in the face of “threats by the enemy”. “With the change in the makeup of that team, this weak diplomacy was transformed into active diplomacy”.
Speaking at a seminar in the northern city of Rasht, Brigadier General Mostafa Haji-Najjar, deputy director of the IRGC’s political bureau, also said that Iran had “an absolute right” to develop nuclear bombs.
The senior IRGC commander said that despite the high costs of construction and maintenance of nuclear sites, these installations have been dispersed in more than 300 sites across the country.
“Because of the sensitivity of these sites and their installations, their distribution comes at a high cost for the government. For example, for each of these sites air defence systems must be designed, and these are very expensive. But our nuclear sites are not just limited to several cities such as Isfahan, Natanz, Arak, and Ardakan. We have nuclear sites at more than 300 locations throughout the country”, Haji-Najjar said.
“Since the Islamic Republic of Iran is under the atomic umbrella of and neighbours with countries such as Pakistan, many foreign geopolitical analysts believe that Iran has an absolute right to have nuclear bombs”, Haji-Najjar said.
The seminar, which was organised by the paramilitary Bassij force in Gilan Province, was held at Qods Mosque in Rasht.
Haji-Najjar said that since the election of former Revolutionary Guards commander Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran’s new president, the West has become increasingly concerned over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
“Unfortunately, the last [nuclear] negotiations team included individuals that easily retreated when faced with European and American positions. One of them is even currently facing corruption charges”, he said, referring to former nuclear negotiator Sirus Nasseri.
Haji-Najjar said that Iran’s previous nuclear negotiators failed to show resilience and determination in the face of “threats by the enemy”. “With the change in the makeup of that team, this weak diplomacy was transformed into active diplomacy”.
posted by Marko at 1/16/2006 09:38:00 PM
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