Iran Launches First Gamma Radiation System

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) launched the country's first multipurpose Gamma Radiation System.

The system was launched in a ceremony attended by AEOI Head Ali Akbar Salehi in Bonab city, Northwestern Iran, on Tuesday.

Last week, Gholam Hossein Rahimi, the Head of Large-Scale National Plans Center affiliated to the Presidential Office’s Department of Science and Technology, said that the system can be used for preventing the spoilage of agricultural products, sterilization of medical equipment and food, as well as long-term storage of food.

“Another Gamma radiation system is currently under construction by the private sector,” he informed.

Natural sources of gamma rays on Earth include gamma decay from naturally occurring radioisotopes, and secondary radiation from atmospheric interactions with cosmic ray particles. Rare terrestrial natural sources produce gamma rays that are not of a nuclear origin, such as lightning strikes and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes.

Addressing the ceremony today, Salehi referred to the enemies' efforts to prevent Iran from progressing in the development of its peaceful nuclear program, and said, "Enemies' pressures against the Islamic Republic are not just for nuclear issues."

Noting that the enemies are aware that Iran is not seeking to move towards military use of the nuclear technology, he said while the country has not received much support, it has been able to stand against the enemies, specially the US, pressures.

Washington and its western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions and the western embargos for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment.

Tehran has dismissed West's demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians' national resolve to continue the path.

Tehran has repeatedly said that it considers its nuclear case closed as it has come clean of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s questions and suspicions about its past nuclear activities.