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Iran denies construction of new nuclear plant in Isfahan

15 December 2011 19:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) rejected Thursday an Iranian lawmaker’s remarks that the organization will build a new nuclear plant in the central province of Isfahan, APA reports quoting Press TV.

"Reports published by some news agencies on the construction of a new nuclear plant in the country are not true and are, hereby, denied," an AEOI statement was quoted as saying.

Earlier on Thursday, the local Fars news agency quoted Iranian lawmaker Avaz Heidarpour as saying that the country plans to build a new nuclear facility in the central province of Isfahan for civil purposes.

"It will be located in Isfahan province, and will be launched in three years," Heidarpour was quoted as saying.

Recently, comments on Iran’s diplomatic issues made by a number of Iranian hardliner lawmakers have later been dismissed by the government.

On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast denied the earlier remarks of Iranian lawmaker, Parviz Sorouri, that Iran would hold a war game in the Strait of Hormuz in the near future for closing it.

Mehmanparast said that "As Iran has announced it several times, the issue of closing the Strait of Hormuz is not on Iran’s agenda since Iran believes in upholding the stability and peace of the region."

On Wednesday, Turkey demanded an explanation from Iran for the threat by a senior lawmaker to attack the missile defense system in eastern Turkey.

Private NTV reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made a phone call to his Iranian counterpart Ali-Akbar Salehi and demanded his explanation.

The report quoted Turkish diplomatic sources as saying that the Turkish foreign minister said Turkey is discontent with the threatening statement.

Hussein Ibrahim, vice president of the Iranian parliamentary national security and foreign policy panel, said on Sunday in an interview that "it is Iran’s natural right to target the missile defense shield system in Turkey in case of an attack."

The Iranian foreign minister told Davutoglu that the statement is only a reflection of the individual and is not Iran’s official position.