Iran agrees to ship uranium to Russia as part of nuclear deal

The agreement, however, does not address an alternative way for the Islamic Republic to obtain a nuclear bomb – the use of the heavy water produced at Iran’s Arak plant to produce plutonium.

Despite that, an American official involved in the talks was optimistic about the proposed agreement, saying that “if the Iran-Russia deal works, it could be the cornerstone of something much larger.”

A US National Security official confirmed Russia’s contribution to nuclear talks with Iran, saying Moscow “played a very helpful role during these negotiations,” by working together with the other nations “to put forward creative and reasonable ideas that preserve our objective of cutting off any possible pathway Iran might have to a nuclear weapon.”

According to the Times, Russia has both financial and political incentives to agree to the proposed deal.

On the financial benefits, the paper noted that Moscow “would be paid handsomely for enriching Iran’s uranium, continuing the monopoly it has in providing the Iranians with a commercial reactor, and putting it in a good position to build the new nuclear power reactors that Iran has said it intends to construct in the future.”

 

Read More: Report: Iran agrees to ship uranium to Russia as part of nuclear deal – Israel News, Ynetnews