'No one can blame Iran for fuel production'

It is not obvious that there will be a war with Iran. It can be avoided if Iran doesn't cross the line in the nuclear program, Director of the Russian Center for Public Policy Research Vladimir Evseev said in an interview with Trend.

"There is a scenario of naval operations, taking into account the impressive group of Western naval forces in the Persian Gulf. Closing the Strait of Hormuz may be the reason for the war, but Iran is unlikely to do that," Evseev said.

The U.S. and its allies have begun moving their military forces in the Persian Gulf this month. In response, Tehran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, which blocks a significant share of world oil exports.

The U.S. and other Western countries accuse Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of peaceful nuclear energy program. Tehran denies the charges, saying that its nuclear program is aimed at meeting the country's electricity needs.

Evseev said that Iran is not ready for nuclear tests.

Iran must be more careful in making sharp statements that provoke the Americans, especially because the potential of Iran, the U.S and Israel are very different, Evseev said.

Commenting on Iran's nuclear program, Evseev stressed that one can not blame Iran for fuel production, as Iran has resentment toward the West.

"Iran has bought shares in a large European company for $1 billion, for which Iran was supposed to get full access to the technologies of nuclear fuel production, but it did not happen," Evseev said.

The ceremony of presenting the latest developments in the nuclear field was held at nuclear facility in Tehran on Wednesday. President Ahmadinejad attended the event.
Earlier, deputy head of the National Security Council Ali Bagheri said that Iran began to enrich uranium to 20 percent to produce fuel rods as Western countries do not want to help.

"It [the reactor] is five-megawatt. It was produced in the U.S, where it worked on highly enriched uranium. Later it was remade under the reactor for low-enriched uranium in Argentina. It is impossible to test nuclear fuel on the reactor, which uses one third of power due to the absence of nuclear fuel," Evseev said.

Moreover, the Iranians lack the skills of testing, and replacement of fuel in a densely populated city under these conditions can lead to disaster, Evseev said. "This example can serve as a warning that Tehran may act at its own discretion and not always calculates risks in other issues, relating to nuclear program. It would be better if Russian experts help Iran in loading the reactor," Evseev said.


/Trend/