Iran will soon receive a second batch of 20 percent enriched uranium that was kept in Russia under the nuclear deal and will be used in the Tehran nuclear reactor, Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Saturday.
"When we signed the nuclear agreement, we stopped production of 20 percent fuel and sent the excessive fuel to Russia in 10 batches. We received the first batch nearly seven months ago and the second is about to be transferred soon. Any of these batches can be used for nearly one year and therefore we have 20 percent fuel for the Tehran Reactor for at least seven to eight years," Kamalvandi was quoted by the Mizan News Agency as saying.
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Tehran agreed to handover its reserve of 20 percent enriched uranium to Russia.
The official noted that Iran agreed to halt production of 20 percentenriched uranium on the condition that the fuel will be supplied from outside the country.
"If the nuclear deal survives, the other sides should sell us the fuel. If not, we will feel unimpeded to produce the 20 percent fuel ourselves," the AEOI official said.
US President Donald Trump pulled out of the international deal in May. The other signatories to the agreement — Iran, China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany— have stressed that the deal must be upheld.
On Tuesday the United States reinstated sanctions targeting Iran's trade in gold and other precious metals, its purchase of US dollars as well as automotive sector.
A second batch of the unilateral US sanctions is expected to in November.
