Russia to Begin Construction of Two Nuclear Power Plants in Iran Next Week

Behrouz Kamalvandi has stated that Russia will begin construction of two new nuclear power plants in Iran starting next week. According to the spokesperson for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, in line with reducing dependence on gas and oil, 20 additional nuclear power plants are planned to be built in the coming years. The commencement of construction of these two plants is part of the consequences of Iran's nuclear agreement with six world powers, which will end some of Tehran's restrictions on foreign transactions, particularly in the energy sector. The construction of the two new plants enters the implementation phase one year after the agreement between Tehran and Moscow. Based on this agreement, the number of nuclear power plants that Russia will build in Iran will reach nine in the coming years. Iranian state television reported that Kamalvandi stated that the construction of these two plants will begin next week, but he did not specify how long the construction would take. The completion and commissioning of the Bushehr plant by the Russians took more than 15 years. Mr. Kamalvandi mentioned that Iran intends to build 20 nuclear power plants in the future, four of which will be in Bushehr. The nuclear agreement with world powers does not limit Iran's civilian nuclear program. Sergey Kiriyenko, head of the Russian state nuclear energy corporation, stated last year that Iran will cover all costs of constructing these plants. Russia and Iran have extensive political and economic cooperation and support Bashar al-Assad's regime in the Syrian civil war against opponents and jihadist groups like the 'Islamic Caliphate.' During Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Tehran, the two countries signed several economic agreements aimed at increasing trade volume between them. Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh, Iran's Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade, and his Russian counterpart Denis Manturov opened an industrial exhibition in Tehran on Monday. According to Iranian state television, this three-day exhibition is organized by the state-owned Rostec company and features hundreds of representatives from various commercial and economic sectors of Russia to introduce Russian industries to Iran. The Rostec state company owns 700 economic and industrial institutions divided into 14 major groups, with the main activities of nine sectors being military industries. A Rostec official stated on Tuesday that Russia is 'not afraid' of Western companies' attempts to enter the Iranian market after the lifting of sanctions. Viktor Kladov told Agence France-Presse, 'Everyone is waiting for the lifting of sanctions, and everyone wants to get ahead of others. We are not afraid of anything and are confident in the quality of our products. Iran and Russia have a long history of cooperation, and the two countries are reliable economic partners for each other.' The commercial cooperation between the two countries includes areas such as transportation, automotive, aviation, metallurgy, chemical industries, oil, and shipbuilding. Viktor Kladov from Rostec stated, 'Right now, as we speak, Iranian experts are testing the Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft and conducting test flights over Tehran.' He added that if they can technically attract Iran's interest, up to 100 of these aircraft may be sold to Iran. The helicopter manufacturing division of Rostec is also negotiating to sell several emergency helicopters to Iran. The company is also set to repair and upgrade over 50 Russian-made helicopters in Iran. This Rostec official added that in the future, Iran will become the center for the repair and modernization of Russian aircraft and helicopters in the entire region, including countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan.