Iran hopes to sell 40 metric tons of excess heavy water produced at the Arak nuclear reactor to the United States for research purposes, the deputy chief of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) said Tuesday.








MOSCOW (Sputnik) — AEOI’s Deputy Head Ali Asghar Zarean said that Iran planned to produce 20 metric tons of heavy water annually and sell the excess to foreign customers, according to the state IRNA news agency.


Zarean denied reports that Iranian technicians had dismantled the core of the Arak Heavy Water Reactor as part of Tehran’s July deal with international mediators to scale down its nuclear program in return for the easing of sanctions.

The deputy atomic chief said Iran was due to conclude a deal with China next week to modify the design of its nearly finished IR-40 heavy water reactor, under construction at the Arak nuclear facility.

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action, agreed last year by Iran and six mediators – namely, the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany – Tehran must take steps to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon before the sanctions can be lifted.
By Sputnik