Iran’s atomic energy chief and Vice President, Mohammad Eslami, has arrived in Moscow for talks, Iranian state media reported Monday, as the UN weighs possible reinstatement of sanctions on Tehran’s nuclear program.
The UN Security Council last week rejected a proposal, backed by Russia and China, to permanently lift sanctions, while Britain, France, and Germany push to reimpose them, accusing Iran of breaching the 2015 nuclear deal. Tehran denies seeking nuclear weapons, and Moscow insists Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear energy.
Eslami confirmed that Iran and Russia will sign cooperation agreements during his visit, including a deal to build eight nuclear power plants as part of Tehran’s plan to achieve 20 GW of nuclear capacity by 2040. “Contract negotiations have been completed, and with the signing this week, we will move into operational steps,” he said.
Iran, facing power shortages, currently operates just one nuclear plant in Bushehr, built by Russia with a 1 GW capacity. Meanwhile, Britain, France, and Germany have offered to delay sanctions for six months if Iran allows UN inspectors access, addresses enriched uranium concerns, and resumes talks with the US. Without agreement by September 27, all UN sanctions will automatically be reinstated.
As Iran’s nuclear program is very crucial for its defense, Iran started nuclear talks with European powers
