IRAN AND RUSSIA SIGN 25 BILLION DOLLAR NUCLEAR DEAL
Iran and Russia have signed a 25 billion dollar memorandum of understanding to build new nuclear power plants. The deal was confirmed by Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali.
The agreement will see Russia construct the Hormoz Nuclear Power Plant in the southern province of Hormozgan. The plant will consist of four power units with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts and is scheduled to be commissioned by 2031.
The project is Iran’s largest nuclear initiative. It is being developed by Iran’s private sector in cooperation with Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom.
Russian companies have also offered to assist Iran in reconstructing civilian infrastructure damaged during the US and Zionist war against Iran.
President Pezeshkian and President Putin are expected to meet next week in Kyrgyzstan. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek on August 30-31.
The two leaders have met five times before. This will be their sixth meeting.
This deal is separate from the memorandum of understanding signed between Iran and the US in June.
The agreement expands nuclear cooperation between Tehran and Moscow. It comes as Iran faces heightened geopolitical tensions with the US and its allies.
The SCO summit will bring together leaders from China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Iran.
If Russia can build a 5,000-megawatt nuclear plant in Iran while the US watches, what is stopping the partnership from growing even larger. And how long before Washington realises its sanctions have pushed Tehran closer to Moscow.