Press TV - Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says work on the reconstruction of the Arak heavy water reactor � a project jointly undertaken by China, Britain and Iran � has �picked up pace� following a pause.

�The joint committee tasked with redesigning the Arak Heavy Water Reactor Facility � comprised of Iran, China and Britain � is performing its job well,� said Salehi, Iran�s parliamentary news agency ICANA reported on Friday.

�We are consequently satisfied with the project�s progress because the reactor�s reconstruction has picked up pace after being delayed for several months,� he added.

The 40-megawatt Arak reactor is intended to produce isotopes for cancer and other medical treatments.

Under a multilateral deal initially inked between Iran and six world powers �including the US, China and Britain � in 2015, Iran agreed to redesign the Arak research reactor to cut its potential output of plutonium.

Washington and Beijing had initially formed a working group to assist Iran in redesigning the Arak facility.

However, Britain later replaced the US, which abruptly abandoned the deal � officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) � in 2018.

The nuclear chief further highlighted the importance of nuclear technology for the country�s energy sector, saying the Bushehr nuclear power plant is already generating an average of 2.7 percent of Iran�s electricity needs.

That figure, he added, would increase following the inauguration of Bushehr�s second and third nuclear power plants, which are slated to become operational in the next six and eight years, respectively.

�US isolation�

Salehi further pointed to a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA)�s Board of Governors, which had been held at the request of the US earlier this month, saying the outcome of the meeting demonstrated Washington�s isolation.

During that meeting, Washington made an attempt in vain to rally the body behind its anti-Iran claims a few days after Tehran increased its uranium enrichment level beyond the limits set by the JCPOA as part of its legal reciprocal measures in the aftermath of the US�s exit from the agreement and the remaining signatories� failure to live up to their end of the bargain.

�This is the first time that a member state of the Board of Governors calls for a session only to get isolated afterwards due to its baseless claims,� he said.

On July 10, the day of the Board of Governors session, Trump had threatened that Washington would push for a �substantial� increase in sanctions against Iran soon, accusing Tehran of secretly enriching uranium without providing any evidence.