A nuclear negotiator explained the process of swapping the supplies of low-enriched uranium for raw uranium, which was completed on Monday as part of Tehran’s commitment under the nuclear deal with major powers.
The deal was finalized with P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) on July 14 to place temporary curbs on Tehran’s nuclear work in return for sanctions relief.
The curbs include cutting the stockpile of refined uranium to no more than 300 kg with a maximum 3.67% of fissile purity.
Under the action plan, the surplus stock could be either shipped out of the country, diluted to natural uranium level or turned into fuel plates to power the Arak research reactor.
Subsequently, Iranian officials opted to enter into a swap agreement with Moscow, Fars News Agency reported.
On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement the receipt of Iran’s enriched uranium materials the previous day.
Earlier this month, Russia had met its side of the agreement by delivering a shipment of 140 tons of natural uranium, also known as yellowcake.
Complicated Process
“Yesterday, one of the most difficult measures contained in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal was formally called, was completed through a complicated process of transferring uranium supplies to and from Iran,” Hamid Baeidinejad wrote on his Instagram account on Tuesday.
“Iran imported some 200 tons of the best quality yellowcake from Russia and Kazakhstan in two stages,” the director general of the Foreign Ministry’s Political and International Security Department said.
He added that the swap deal was based on international market prices.
Baeidinejad said the exchange, which took two months of round-the-clock work to complete, was carried out in coordination with Russia and Kazakhstan, in which Norway and Azerbaijan also played a role.
Norway helped verify the shipment of the remaining 60 tons of raw uranium to Iran.
Oslo’s Foreign Ministry said experts from the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority “verified and controlled the transportation” of the uranium from Kazakhstan to Iran on Sunday, AP reported.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Boerge Brende said Norway was supporting the JCPOA by helping “ensure Iran’s excess enriched uranium is replaced by natural uranium, so that the commitments in the agreement can be met.”
