Russia strikes new nuclear deal on Iran’s power plants
Photo: Mohammad Eslami, Vice President of Iran (Getty Images)
Russia has signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran on the construction of eight small nuclear power plants in the country, Reuters reports.
The document was signed in Moscow by Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and the country’s Vice President.
Eslami recently told Iranian state media that the plan envisions building eight nuclear plants with a total capacity of 20 GW by 2040.
Currently, Iran has only one nuclear power plant in Bushehr, built by Russia, with a capacity of 1 GW.
According to the agency, Moscow and Tehran maintain close ties. Russia has condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which were carried out to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Eslami’s visit to Moscow comes amid UN consideration of possible renewed sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
In June, Israel launched missile strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had reached an understanding with Tel Aviv that the Bushehr plant would not be targeted by the IDF.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, September 23, Ukraine’s Energoatom reported a blackout at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — the tenth since the start of Russia’s full-scale war.
The last external power line connecting the plant to Ukraine’s grid was cut, forcing it to switch to backup diesel generators. External electricity supply is critical for cooling the reactors, and such a situation could lead to a nuclear accident.
