Iran to get 8 Russian-built nuclear plants

Iran announces plans for Russia to build eight nuclear power plans in the Islamic republic, as efforts by the US to reach a nuclear deal continue.

By World Israel News Staff

Russia has agreed to construct eight nuclear power plants in Iran, the Islamic republic announced on Monday.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, said that Tehran has inked a deal with Moscow for the building of four nuclear plants in the southern coastal city of Bushehr, where Iran already operates a nuclear plant.

Four others, Razaei said, will be opened up around the country as part of the deal with Russia.

This April, Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said that Russia planned to fund the construction of a nuclear plant in Iran.

Razaei’s announcement came just hours after Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, warned that Iran has massively increased its stockpile of enriched uranium, topping 400 kilograms of uranium at 60% purity.

That level far exceeds the purity needed for civilian energy production, and approaches the 90% level needed for atomic weapons.

Grossi also said his agency had found evidence that Iran had hidden undeclared nuclear materials at three sites, adding that there were signs of attempts to scrub the sites of residual material in order to conceal past violations by Iran.

During his announcement on Monday, Razaei cited Mohammed Eslami, the chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, who said that in addition to the eight new, Russian-built nuclear facilities, the AEOI plans to expand the existing Bushehr nuclear facility, constructing Units 2 and 3.

The Bushehr expansion plan, unlike the eight additional power plans, will be carried out by Iranian companies, Razaei said, citing Eslami.