Iran Mulls European Offers to Buy Heavy Water

Iran is reviewing offers by some European countries to buy its heavy water supplies, a nuclear official announced.

"Following the sale of 70 tons of heavy water to Russia and the United States, some countries have placed requests for our heavy water and we are considering these requests," IRNA quoted Ali Asghar Zarean, a deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying on Saturday.

Iran reached a historic agreement with world powers in July 2015 to get relief from international sanctions in return for temporary curbs on its nuclear work, based on which the Islamic Republic is obliged to keep its reserves of heavy water below 130 tons by selling, diluting or disposing of the excess amounts. Heavy water is a non-radioactive substance used in some types of nuclear reactors.

Iranian officials announced in June last year that a deal with the US companies for the sale of 32 tons of heavy water had gone ahead, despite opposition from hawkish US lawmakers.

Russian media also reported in August that Moscow had received the delivery of 38 tons of Iran's heavy water under a purchase deal.