Report: Tehran wants to expand cooperation with Russia over Fordow

MOSCOW, Dec 19 (PRIME) -- Tehran wants to expand cooperation with Russia on the Fordow nuclear facility under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iranian ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanai told Kommersant business daily in an interview published late on Wednesday.

“We expect that the current Iranian–Russian cooperation in implementation of the JCPOA, including works on the nuclear facility in Fordow, will continue and even expand,” Kommersant quoted Sanai as saying.

Russian state nuclear power corporation Rosatom has been working in Fordow since 2017 to upgrade two cascades of gas centrifuges that produce stable isotopes of tellurium and xenon for medical purposes. But Iran shunned some of its obligations under the nuclear deal on November 6, and started to enrich uranium at the facility, making production of stable isotopes impossible. Russia suspended its works at the plant after that.

Sanai said that although they already provide significant political support, Moscow and Beijing “could have made more” to support Iran. After U.S.’ unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, Iran has been gradually reducing its obligations under the plan with 60-day intervals.

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