Tehran a Major Heavy Water Supplier

Iran's top nuclear official said the Islamic Republic has sold 32 tons of heavy water to the United States and delivered 38 tons of the nuclear substance to Russia.

"European firms, including German and French ones, seek to purchase Iran's heavy water and we have expressed our readiness in this regard," Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, also told reporters on Sunday, Press TV reported.

Salehi said under last year's nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council—the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia—plus Germany, Tehran can keep a heavy water stockpile of 130 tons and offer the surplus for sale on international markets.

Pointing to the increasing demand for heavy water worldwide, the AEOI chief said Iran has become a major international supplier of the substance.

He noted that heavy water is not only used in reactors, but can also be utilized in various industries, including pharmaceuticals.

Salehi added that only a few countries are authorized to produce heavy water under the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Organization.

According to JCPOA, the US administration of President Barack Obama said in April that Washington would buy $8.6 million worth of heavy water from Iran.

The agreement, which took effect in January, calls for an end to decades of nuclear-related sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program.

In September, the IAEA once again confirmed Iran's commitment to the landmark nuclear agreement, with the agency's Director General Yukiya Amano saying the UN nuclear agency would continue evaluating the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.   

In a quarterly report on Iran on September 8, Iran's commitment to the nuclear agreement was confirmed by IAEA, which is tasked with overseeing the implementation of JCPOA.

Since January, the IAEA released regular reports confirming the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and Tehran's commitment to the agreement.