IRNA - Spokesman for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi underscored that Tehran prioritizes re-designing of Arak reactor, saying that if the actions of the JCPOA partners and re-designing of working group are slowed down, Iran may restore Arak's old reactor.

Commenting on the steps taken to re-design the heavy water reactor in Arak, Kamalvandi said that an agreement has been concluded on re-designing of Arak reactor, according to which reactor�s neutron charge should be increased, because the goal of building a research reactor is to produce neutron.

The AEOI spokesman added that although the heavy water reactor was used to produce neutrons, the IAEA argued that its plutonium was high and after consultation it was decided with maintaining the nature of heavy water to reduce plutonium, the reactor�s fuel changes and to change from conventional fuel to enriched fuel; an action that is in line with Iran's demands.

Expressing that Arak heavy water reactor should be re-designed to increase its neutron charge, the official highlighted, "The new reactor can be designed to produce 1 kilogram of plutonium instead of producing 4 kilograms, but the amount of neutrons has multiplied."

Kamalvandi referred to the application of neutrons in the production of radio-pharmaceuticals, noting, �The re-designed reactor, on the one hand, has the nature of heavy water, and on the other hand produces more neutrons while justifying more enrichment because the fuel used in it is enriched."

The spokesman recalled that the US withdrew from the JCPOA and the UK replaced the US in the re-designing process of Arak reactor, and said that Britain has replaced the United States in Arak heavy water re-designing project and has always claimed that it could fill the vacuum after US� withdrawal, which is why Iran provided a list of equipment required for re-designing Arak reactor by Britain.