$25bn Deal for Iran-Russia Nuclear Project
Tehran and Moscow have signed a $25 billion agreement to construct four nuclear power reactors in southern Iran, according to reports from Iranian state media.
The announcement, made on Friday, comes just as the United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution backed by China and Russia. The resolution seeks to postpone, for at least six months, the reimposition of international sanctions on Iran under the so-called "snapback mechanism" related to its nuclear program, according to Al Jazeera.
Russia has maintained close ties with Iran and strongly condemned the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. At the time, Israel claimed—without providing evidence—that Iran was close to acquiring nuclear weapons. Western powers have long harbored suspicions that Tehran is using its civilian nuclear program as a front for developing nuclear arms.
Iran, however, has consistently denied these accusations. President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated earlier this week at the United Nations General Assembly that Tehran “will never seek to build a nuclear bomb.”
Moscow has also opposed any move to reinstate UN sanctions against Iran, urging continued diplomatic efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal.
The snapback sanctions mechanism is expected to be triggered by the end of Saturday, with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom pushing for its implementation.
