commenting on the development of radiopharmaceuticals inside Iran, Eslami stated that 67 such medicinal items were in distribution at 210 medical centers and hospitals across the country.

He told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that one million cancer patients had used radiopharmaceuticals in Iran, and that work was underway to increase this capacity.

"Two new radiopharmaceuticals were being developed in the current year," he continued, adding that all such medication was being produced domestically.

Back in mid-March, Eslami spoke of Iran’s progress in nuclear technology, stating that Tehran has made a pet san machine that is used for diagnosis of cancer.

"Iran is now exporting nuclear medicine products to 9 countries," the official added.

Eslami in December said that Tehran is seeking to become a deuterium drugs hub in the world.

“In a not too distant future we will turn into a hub for manufacturing drugs based on deuterium which are good alternatives to chemical drugs and have lower side effects in comparison (to those drugs),” he continued.

The nuclear head stated the AEOI will continue to provide technologies and equipment to domestic suppliers to help them in their effortsb to manufacture sophisticated drugs and medical appliances.

The AEOI chief has blasted the Western countries' efforts to impede Iran's acquisition and development of new technologies.

He stated that there is a firm determination to prevent Tehran from gaining access to new technologies, criticizing big powers for their opposition in this regard.

"Efforts have been underway by certain countries since the 1979 Islamic Revolution to halt Iran’s technological progress, especially nuclear industry, by leveling baseless accusations against the Islamic Republic," the official noted.