Kamali: Second Shipment of 20% Uranium on the Verge of Arrival in Iran

The spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran announced that Iran received its first shipment of 20% uranium seven months ago, and the second shipment is 'on the verge of transfer' to Iran. Behrouz Kamalvandi stated in an interview with the Mizan news agency published on Saturday, August 20, that Iran transferred 10 shipments of fuel to Russia based on the Vienna nuclear agreement. According to Mr. Kamalvandi, Iran received the first shipment about seven months ago, and the second shipment is also 'on the verge of transfer.' He mentioned that each of these shipments could be used for one year in the Tehran reactor. In previous years, officials of the Islamic Republic had also reported the delivery of 20% enriched uranium from Russia to Iran. For instance, in 2016, Ali Asghar Zarean, a special assistant to the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, reported that five kilograms of 20% enriched uranium had arrived from Russia in Isfahan. He stated that based on the agreement between Iran and Russia, 20% uranium would be sent to Iran in five-kilogram shipments upon Tehran's request. According to Islamic Republic officials, 20% enriched uranium is the fuel for the Tehran research reactor, which has medical and agricultural uses. Previously, Mr. Kamalvandi also mentioned that Iran had received 340 tons of natural uranium from Russia. In 2015, coinciding with negotiations that ultimately led to the nuclear agreement, Iran received a similar shipment of natural uranium from Russia in exchange for sending its enriched uranium to that country. Natural uranium can be enriched to various degrees for nuclear reactor fuel, medical and research uses, and even for nuclear weapons production. Before the JCPOA, Iran enriched uranium up to 3.5% and at times to levels higher than 20%. Iran's enrichment level is set at 3.67% for the next 15 years. Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization stated that if there is no agreement between Iran and Europe to continue the JCPOA after the U.S. withdrawal, the Islamic Republic will enrich uranium up to 20%. Mr. Kamalvandi also mentioned that due to U.S. opposition regarding nuclear fusion, Iran has replaced the 'ITER' project with the 'WEST' project in collaboration with France. He reported that Iranian experts recently traveled to France and visited this project. 'ITER', or the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is an international research project in the field of nuclear energy based in France. Since the implementation of the JCPOA, Iranian officials had promised to join this project, but Iran's membership was canceled due to U.S. opposition.