The exchange of nuclear fuel (enriched uranium) has progressed well, Salehi told reporters on Saturday on the sidelines of a ceremony held in Tehran to unveil Iranian knowledge-based companies’ recent achievements.
“As previously announced, we have imported 137 tons of yellowcake from Russia and (in return) about 9 tons of Iran’s enriched uranium will be exported to Russia in the next few days,” he said.
Reducing the stockpile of Iran’s enriched uranium was part of the country’s nuclear deal with six world powers, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Back in November, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who chairs a taskforce in Iran on pursuing the implementation of the JCPOA, had said that following the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ report on December 15, Iran and Russia would start exchanging uranium and yellowcake.
Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) finalized the 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 (G5+1) 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.”