Iran invites Gulf states to tour nuclear power plant

TEHRAN: Iran’s nuclear chief said Wednesday experts from Arab neighbors across the Gulf, concerned about the safety of Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, are welcome to visit the facility, IRNA reported.
“We are ready for the visit of nuclear experts of ... Gulf countries to Bushehr nuclear power plant,” Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying when asked how Tehran would tackle their worries.
Gulf countries have often raised concern over Bushehr’s reliability and the risk of radioactive leaks in case of a major earthquake, as well as a possible military dimension to Iran’s nuclear drive.
“We... again express our readiness, for consultation between our country’s experts and the experts from Persian Gulf countries, so that they can hold scientific and technical talks on the Bushehr power plant’s safety issues,” Salehi said. The nuclear chief also suggested establishing a regional nuclear cooperation body so that “all these doubts will be addressed scientifically.”
President Hassan Rowhani also reiterated that Iran has never sought nuclear weapons.
“As regards peaceful nuclear technology, we have never sought nuclear weapons and will never do so,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
Bushehr came into service in 2011 after several delays blamed on technical problems.