Iran to Exchange Uranium Based on Leader’s Guidelines
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Spokesman for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi stressed that the country will exchange its enriched uranium in accordance with the observations made by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
The plan for exchange of uranium has been developed according to the guidelines set by the Supreme Leader, Kamalvandi said in a televised interview on Tuesday night.
“This will be a good deal at the international level as a result of which Iran will join the club of exporters and importers of nuclear materials,” he added.
“In this deal, we will receive yellowcake in return for enriched uranium,” AEOI spokesman said.
“This agreement is actually a good deal signed based on the viewpoints of the Supreme Leader,” he reiterated.
AEOI Chief Ali Akbar Salehi on Monday announced that the country plans to export several tons of its enriched uranium to become one of the few countries in the world that sell uranium enrichment services.
Salehi said at the time that Iran will export 9 tons of its 4 percent enriched uranium to Russia within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA – the recent nuclear accord finalized by Iran and world powers).
He went on to say that Iran will use the money it earns from selling the enriched uranium to import 140 tons of natural uranium.
Later on Tuesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who chairs a taskforce in Iran on pursuing the implementation of the JCPOA, explained that the exchange of nuclear fuel with Russia will begin after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) releases its final report and Iran’s so-called PMD (possible military dimension) case is closed once and for all.
Following the IAEA Board of Governors’ report on December 15, Iran and Russia will start exchanging uranium and yellowcake, he noted.
Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) reached a conclusion on a lasting nuclear agreement, the JCPOA, on July 14.
According to the agreement, “All enriched uranium hexafluoride in excess of 300 kg of up to 3.67% enriched UF6 (or the equivalent in different chemical forms) will be down blended to natural uranium level or be sold on the international market and delivered to the international buyer in return for natural uranium delivered to Iran.
Iran will enter into a commercial contract with an entity outside Iran for the purchase and transfer of its enriched uranium stockpile in excess of 300 kg UF6 in return for natural uranium delivered to Iran. The E3/EU+3 will facilitate, where applicable, the conclusion and implementation of this contract. Iran may choose to seek to sell excess enriched uranium to the IAEA fuel bank in Kazakhstan when the fuel bank becomes operational.”
