An Iranian lawmaker has criticised the possibility of a nuclear deal between US and Saudi Arabia saying it was dangerous.
He warned that mixing of nuclear technology with Saudi Arabia’s takfiri ideology was a “global catastrophe”. Takfiris are followers of hardline Islam wherein anyone including Muslims, who doesn’t follow their extreme interpretation of Islam is considered as infidel and punishable by death.
Speaking to ICANA, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, who is a member of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said, that human rights laws and international laws have failed to stop Saudi crimes in Yemen, and that if it is allowed to access uranium technology, then “it would certainly use it in its military.”
A recent Reuters report has said that that US firms are pushing Washington to restart talks with Saudi authorities with respect to helping the country in its efforts to build nuclear reactors . The report stated that the US may be open to allowing Saudi Arabia to access enriched uranium that can be used for military purposes.
Saudi’s Attacks On Yemen Cause For Concern
Saudi Arabia’s influential official Prince Turki al-Faisal said recently that his country should not have to forfeit its “sovereign” right to enrich uranium one day as a part of its civilian nuclear program, considering Iran has been allowed to do so by world powers.
Falahatpisheh has expressed concern at the plans citing Saudi unaccountability with respect to the war in Yemen. He pointed out to the war crimes in Yemen and Bahrain caused by the Saudi regime, and condemned the military force used by Al Saud to suppress the nations.
Falahatpisheh noted that the European Parliament has passed [a non-binding resolution] banning weapons export to Saudi Arabia “because it has breached international laws concerning wars”.
A Saudi-led coalition has been engaged in a war with Yemen with US backing which has resulted in over 13,000 civilian deaths and has displaced nearly three million people .Airstrikes by Saudi forces have hit schools, markets and hospitals while a blockade has been placed on all Yemeni air, land and sea ports.
A Deal Would Be A Major Policy Shift
A uranium enrichment deal with Saudi Arabia would be unprecedented, since the US usually requires that a country sign a nuclear cooperation pact—called the 123 agreement under which the country forfeits the steps that can potentially be used for bomb-making.
David Albright, a former UN weapons inspector and president of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, said that signing a deal without this would undermine US credibility.
Mark Fitzpatrick, executive director of the Americas office at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank agreed saying it would be “a huge change of policy” .
According to Falahatpisheh, however the deal may proceed under the shared goals of US and Saudi Arabia which seeks to counter what they see as a powerful Iran being a threat to the region
He countered the Saudi excuse of Iran being allowed to enrich uranium, stating that Iran had “never flouted international law” and has been cooperating with international bodies via JCPOA.
Iran Complying With International Commitments
JCPOA or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, refers to the agreement signed in 2015 between Iran and world powers which places restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program – allowing uranium enrichment of up to the refinement level of 3.67%—in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.
Reactors need uranium to be enriched to the purity levels of 5% but the same technology can also be used to enrich it to a higher, level for weapons .
According to Falahatpisheh, the world powers had imposed years of stringent international sanctions on Iran for the same technology that Washington is looking to sell to Riyadh.
Yukiya Amano, the UN nuclear watchdog’s head, has confirmed that Iran is in compliance with the terms of JCPOA, and has said that its verification measures are “the most robust regime” in existence currently.
