Secret Agreement of Niger to Sell '300 Tons of Yellowcake Worth $56 Million' to Iran

The Paris-based newspaper Le Monde has reported that the military government of Niger still intends to sell hundreds of tons of refined uranium, or 'yellowcake', to Iran in an agreement with Tehran. Niger has officially denied such intentions, but this has raised concerns in Washington and Paris. On Friday, May 10, Le Monde confirmed information published about a secret agreement between Niger and the Islamic Republic regarding the sale of uranium, which was initially revealed about a month and a half ago by a website called 'Africa Intelligence', citing several official sources from Western countries and Niger. In late April, the Africa Intelligence website disclosed that secret negotiations were underway between Niger and Iran for the purchase of 300 tons of yellowcake. This matter has been closely monitored by the Biden administration, putting the French company Orano, which is extracting uranium in Niger, in a sensitive position. The value of this amount of yellowcake is estimated at $56 million. The Islamic Republic's 'secret' efforts to obtain African uranium date back to last August when the Nigerien presidential guard staged a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, leading to a deterioration in Niger's relations with Western countries, especially the U.S. and France. In addition to concerns about terrorism, the current situation in Niger and other African countries in the region that have recently experienced coups has heightened worries regarding Iran's nuclear file. Prior to French media reports, The Wall Street Journal had reported that in recent months, senior officials from the U.S. and other Western countries had obtained information indicating that the Nigerien military was secretly considering an agreement with Iran that would allow the Islamic Republic access to some of Niger's vast uranium reserves. Uranium is Niger's main export product, and according to the World Nuclear Association based in the UK, Niger was the seventh-largest producer of uranium in the world in 2022, producing about 2020 tons. The French company Orano, which has been extracting uranium from northern Niger since the early 1970s, has promised to comply with international sanctions that prohibit the sale of uranium to Iran. Any purchase and sale of uranium must be reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but the agency has stated that it is not yet aware of any agreement for the sale of uranium from Niger to Iran. Similar reports emerged more than a decade ago when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the then-President of Iran, visited Niger. At that time, due to the significant sensitivities surrounding the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities in the international community, Nigerien officials attempted to deny any allegations related to nuclear cooperation with Tehran. However, the Islamic Republic's efforts to purchase uranium from Niger date back even before Ahmadinejad's presidency. AFP reported, citing Nigerien officials, that in 1984 the Islamic Republic had requested the military government of Seyni Kountché—an officer who had staged a coup against Niger's first president—to buy uranium.