News / Nuclear Energy

Iran receives Russia yellowcake: AEOI chief

Wednesday, 16 December 2015 6:14 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 16 December 2015 6:14 PM ]

The director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, leaves after a meeting on February 23, 2015 in the Swiss city of Geneva. (AFP photo)

Iran's nuclear chief says the country has received Russia’s consignment of yellowcake, adding that Russia is set to take delivery of Iran’s enriched uranium within days.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, said Wednesday that Iran was supposed to ship nine tons of enriched uranium to Russia in exchange for yellowcake.

“The consignment of yellowcake has entered [the Iranian central city of] Isfahan and Iran’s enriched uranium will be loaded aboard a Russian ship and will be transferred to the country,” Salehi said.

The Iranian official said that since the country cannot stockpile more that 300 kilograms of enriched uranium each year, it should either dilute its extra enriched uranium or sell it to other countries.

The decision to export low-enriched uranium from Iran to Russia was reached within the framework of the agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers clinched in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on July 14.

Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic related to its nuclear program.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 23 signed a decree lifting the ban on supplying Iran with equipment for uranium enrichment.

According to Putin’s decree, “The ban on supplying goods, materials and equipment no longer applies ‘to the exports of the enriched uranium from the Islamic Republic of Iran.’”

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