TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi underlined that his country will not cancel the contract to export its excess heavy water reserves to the US, adding that the export was delayed because Iran wants to take the needed precautions to make sure of the US payment.

Speaking to FNA on Wednesday, Araqchi elaborated on the Tuesday remarks by Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi who said that "the heavy water supply was due to be delivered to the US but we exercised caution after the US blocked $2bln of Iran's assets (referring to a recent court ruling by the US Supreme Court which authorized the transfer of $2 billion of Tehran's frozen assets to the families of the victims of a 1983 bombing in Beirut)".

Asked if the heavy water contract with the US will be annulled, he said, "No. More caution is because we want to rest assured that no problem will happen in the payment and the US courts' rulings will not interfere, given the fact that the US administration is responsible in this regard."

Araqchi expressed the hope that necessary assurances would be provided in this regard.

His remarks came after Salehi said that "as long as this issue is not resolved, we will negotiate on ways of payment (for the heavy water supply to the US) and other things in a bid to gain confidence".

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari had also announced last week that Tehran will dispatch its cargo of heavy water to the US only when Washington makes the payment.

"The United States showed an illogical and illegal attitude towards the seizure of Iran Central Bank's assets under the recent US court ruling and it ruined the Islamic Republic's trust in the US actions," Jaberi Ansari told reporters in Tehran.

Noting that the AEOI is responsible for the heavy water contract with the US, he said, "All necessary executive measures have been planned by the Organization to ensure receiving its money and the AEOI will pursue the case in a way that the agreement and contract is implemented properly."

By Fars News Agency