Nuclear waste and a controversial misunderstanding
The government spokesman has rejected Mohammad Yazdi’s interpretation of the “Radioactive Waste Convention.” The head of the Atomic Energy Organization has asked the Guardian Council’s jurist to correct his words. Conservative media outlets have called Yazdi’s statements “nuclear disclosure.”
Government spokesman Ali Rabiei says that the comments made about the Joint Convention on the Management and Safety of Nuclear Waste are inaccurate. He denied accepting the burial of nuclear waste from other countries in Iran and said: "The Nuclear Waste Convention is a safeguard. It is not the case that its ratification is tantamount to accepting nuclear waste."
The government spokesman added that none of the provisions of this convention mentions the obligation of members to accept waste from other countries. Rabiei expressed hope that the parliament will resolve the ambiguity that has arisen.
Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the jurist of the Guardian Council, said in a meeting of Iranian prosecutors: "The parliament had approved that nuclear fuel waste could be buried in the country, but I announced that this was against Islamic law, against the law, and against expediency, and others also accepted this."
Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization, rejected Yazdi's claim, calling the issue a misunderstanding and demanding that the Guardian Council members conduct a more detailed study in this regard: "We spent two and a half years talking about this bill with experts and representatives of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, members of the National Security Commission, lawyers, and members of the government, and this bill was easily approved in the Assembly, but we do not know what happened that an article of this bill that was mentioned was considered to be the exact opposite."
The “Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management” was approved by the Iranian parliament on July 14. At the time of the bill’s approval, it was emphasized in the parliament that the volume of Iran’s nuclear waste had increased and that it was necessary to have a suitable cemetery within the framework of international standards for the burial and storage of nuclear waste. The Guardian Council did not approve the resolution, arguing that it was not clear whether its provisions were binding or not.
Salehi recalled that Articles 11 and 12 of the bill’s introduction emphasize that no country can force another to dispose of waste that does not belong to that country. He said that immediately after Yazdi’s remarks, he contacted the Guardian Council spokesman and explained the issue: “They also promised to correct the issue.”
Salehi demanded that Mohammad Yazdi personally correct his statements: "Since this comment was made by him personally, it is necessary for him to explain the issue himself because it has also had widespread repercussions on social networks."
“There is no need to worry”
Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Parliament, also responded to concerns in this regard and said that the convention does not have any clause on the political commitment of governments and that it is necessary to reduce the risk of storing nuclear waste in the country.
After Ayatollah Yazdi's remarks, Falahat Pisheh said: "The nuclear club countries must clarify their position and duties for nuclear waste management. The Islamic Republic of Iran is also a reputable country in terms of implementing the safety regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and naturally, we must implement the necessary measures in this regard as well . "
Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization, also said in an interview with the "Tabnak" website that perhaps the Guardian Council misread the word "cannot" as "can": "Immediately after Ayatollah Yazdi's speech to the country's attorney general, I called Mr. Kadkhodaei, spokesman for the Guardian Council, and explained the issue, saying that there had probably been a misunderstanding, and he promised to correct the issue."
The government spokesman, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, and the organization's spokesperson have called Mohammad Yazdi's statements incorrect and misinterpreted, while some media outlets covered the words of this Guardian Council jurist under the title "Ayatollah Yazdi's nuclear disclosure." Yazdi had said in a meeting with the country's prosecutors, among other things: "Our executive officials must keep in mind that arrogant plans are analyzed in the enemy's think tank and presented to us in the form of good and humanitarian plans, so we must always be careful about what is behind the scenes of commissions and conventions that offer us cooperation . "
Behrouz Bayat, an expert on nuclear issues, in an interview with DW, considered it unlikely that Iran's goal in joining the relevant convention was to open the way for other countries to transfer nuclear waste. At the same time, the expert emphasized the huge problem of nuclear waste and said: "Perhaps in some countries it is possible to discuss the cost-effectiveness of nuclear energy. But in the case of Iran, it can definitely be said that this country, given its abundant resources of renewable energy, absolutely does not need to spend a lot of money on nuclear energy. This energy is neither useful nor cheap for Iran."
Source: DW
