Iran denies new nuclear plans

The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) rejected Thursday an Iranian lawmaker's remarks that the organisation will build a new nuclear plant in the central province of Isfahan, local satellite channel Press TV reported. "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 said. Earlier on Thursday, the local Fars news agency quoted Iranian lawmaker Avaz Heidarpour saying that the country planned 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 were later 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 war games 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 defence 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 an explanation. The report quoted Turkish diplomatic sources as saying that the Davutoglu 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 defence shield system in Turkey in case of an attack." The Iranian foreign minister told Davutoglu that the statement was only a reflection of the individual and was not Iran's official position.