Iran’s nuclear plant to begin production in April

TEHRAN - Iran’s first nuclear reactor built in the southern city of Bushehr will be connected to the country’s electricity generation network by April, Iranian nuclear authority has said.

The plant has already become operational and is set to move to the next phase, Press TV quoted the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, as having said in an interview to ISNA news agency.

“We have repeatedly announced that for us launching a safe Bushehr plant is more significant than launching it quickly,” Salehi said.

Salehi, who is also Iran’s caretaker foreign minister, said as per the timetable announced by the AEOI, the country has a month and half to connect the reactor to the electricity network once the reactor starts producing electricity.

“We will be able to witness the connection of the plant to the national power grid by April 9,” he said.

Salehi rejected reports that the computer systems in Bushehr had been affected by the Stuxnet, saying the computer worm was not able to go beyond personal computers and enter the facility’s main systems.

About the media reports that the US and Israel were behind the cyber attack on Iranian computer network, Salehi condemned the perpetrator’s disregard for human life and their health.

“Westerners are not seeking people’s health and security and will do anything to gain their aims even if it poses danger to human society,” he said.

He warned: “If anything happens to a nuclear plant its repercussions will not be confined to one border and they should know better that such moves could affect them, too.”