Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation and vice president, told Iranian state media that bilateral agreements will be signed during a visit. This includes a plan to build eight nuclear power plants, as Tehran aims to reach 20GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2040.
“Contract negotiations have taken place and with the signing of the agreement this week, we will enter the operational steps,” Eslami said.
This announcement comes at a tense time with Western nations, who accuse Tehran of failing to comply with a 2015 deal with world powers that sought to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies any such intention, and Russia has voiced support for Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy.
On Friday, the 15-member UN Security Council rejected a draft resolution to permanently lift sanctions on Tehran. Britain, France, and Germany have offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months if Iran restores access for UN nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns about its stock of enriched uranium, and engages in talks with the U.S.
The council also voted to reimpose previously frozen UN sanctions after three European governments activated the “snapback” mechanism in a decade-old nuclear agreement, accusing Iran of non-compliance.
