Russia and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding to build small nuclear power plants in Iran, as Tehran faces the possibility of renewed international sanctions over its nuclear program.
The agreement was signed Wednesday in Moscow by Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Iran’s top nuclear official, Vice President Mohammad Eslami, who called it a “strategic project”, reports agencies.
Earlier this week, Eslami revealed that Iran plans to build eight nuclear plants as part of its goal to generate 20 gigawatts of nuclear energy capacity by 2040. Currently, Iran operates only one nuclear facility — the Russian-built Bushehr plant in the south — with a capacity of about 1 gigawatt.
The deal comes as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted last week against permanently lifting sanctions on Iran. This sets the stage for their automatic reimposition by September 28 unless a new deal is reached. Russia was among the four countries that opposed restoring sanctions.
Iran rejected the UNSC’s move, warning that the resumption of sanctions would “effectively suspend” its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The vote followed a 30-day dispute process triggered by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany — known as the E3 — accusing Tehran of breaching its nuclear commitments.
The E3 alleges that Iran has amassed a uranium stockpile more than 40 times above the limit set under the 2015 nuclear accord, which the U.S. abandoned in 2018 before reimposing sanctions. Tehran insists it only expanded enrichment after Washington violated the deal.
Fresh sanctions would freeze Iranian assets abroad, block arms sales to Tehran, and restrict its ballistic missile program. While denying any pursuit of nuclear weapons, Iranian leaders assert their right to peaceful nuclear energy.
Addressing the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that Iran “will never seek a nuclear bomb.” A day earlier, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed direct talks with Washington, calling negotiations with the United States “a sheer dead end.”
Tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have escalated in recent months. In June, Israel launched a 12-day conflict with Iran, during which Israeli and U.S. forces targeted several of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
