Iran nuclear chief says facilities safe in face of military threats

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Tuesday that the country's nuclear sites are protected against threats, just weeks after US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Iran if it did not agree to a new nuclear deal.

“Good measures have been considered, and effective steps have been taken to fortify them," Mohammad Eslami said, speaking at an event marking the anniversary of the establishment of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Last month, US President Donald Trump warned of bombing Iran if Tehran failed to reach a deal over its nuclear program, vowing to quash Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons. Israel has also repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran’s nuclear sites.

Eslami said effort to fortify the facilities are ongoing. "Extensive efforts have been made in recent years, and many vulnerabilities have been addressed. The current safety conditions are not comparable to the past,” Eslami added.

According to Axios, in addition to extensive damage to air defense systems, the Israeli air attack on Iran last October destroyed an active top secret nuclear weapons research facility in Parchin.

Amid a national energy crisis, Tehran emphasizes on the importance of its nuclear program, with Eslami pointing to the Bushehr power plant as a key example of nuclear energy's value.

He said that Iran spent $1.87 billion on the Bushehr plant, which has led to $8 billion in fuel savings.

"Electricity produced from nuclear power plants can effectively reduce the total cost of electricity production and return energy subsidies directly or indirectly to people's tables," Eslami said.

However, he acknowledged that nuclear power currently makes up a small fraction of Iran’s energy mix, limiting its impact on average electricity prices. “We are still in the early stages of broad nuclear electricity use, and its share in the national energy basket is very low,” he added.