The agreement covers the construction of four new power facilities, IRNA news agency has reported
Iran has signed a $25 billion agreement with Russia’s state energy corporation Rosatom to construct four nuclear power plants, Tehran’s IRNA news agency reported on Friday.
The agreement was concluded on Wednesday at the Atom Expo 2025 exhibition in Moscow. Rosatom described the project as “strategic.”
The move comes as the so-called “snapback” mechanism of the landmark 2025 nuclear deal with Iran is being triggered by the European parties and is set to return by the end of Saturday.
Britain, France and Germany initiated the sanctions last month, accusing Iran of failing to adhere to its commitments under the agreement. Russia and China have opposed the sanctions.
Moscow’s UN envoy has stated that Russia does not recognize the snapback procedure as legal.
The news agency reported that the Generation III plants will be built on a 500-hectare site in the Sirik region of southeastern Hormozgan province and are expected to produce 5,000 megawatts of electricity.
The deal was struck between Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev and Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization head Mohammad Eslami, with officials saying it shows the two countries’ commitment to “peaceful nuclear cooperation.”
Eslami told Iranian state media earlier this week that Tehran plans to build eight nuclear power plants as part of a drive to reach 20 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040.
Iran, which suffers periodic power shortages during peak demand, currently operates a single nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Also built by Russia, the facility has a capacity of 1 gigawatt.
Moscow has close relations with Tehran and condemned the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.
Israel claimed that Iran was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, but Tehran said it never had such intention.
Mohammad Eslami told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday that Iran will continue its peaceful nuclear program regardless of foreign pressure.
