Kagenmi/Getty Images Rosatom, the chief state-run nuclear energy company in Russia, will reportedly rake in billions of dollars under a newly forged Iran nuclear deal.
The Washington Free Beacon reported that Rosatom scored a $10 billion contract from Iran to broaden the size of the Bushehr nuclear plant in Tehran; the new agreement will provide exemptions for Russia to work with Iran on expanding their nuclear capability under the original 2015 nuclear deal. As evidence for this, the Free Beacon cited an unnamed State Department official as well as the department’s spokesperson Ned Price.
Former State Department Special Adviser to Iran Gabriel Noronha told the Free Beacon, “Rosatom’s projects in Iran are crucial to the company’s future financial viability—that’s exactly why we should shut them down by disrupting their foreign contracts—especially those with a regime like Iran. We’re doing the opposite. The United States should sanction Rosatom for its involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine, but in classic fashion, we’re giving them full sanctions immunity that will stabilize Rosatom’s finances.” The Free Beacon subsequently reported that Republicans in both Houses of Congress are introducing bills to prevent the Biden administration from implementing waivers for Rosatom, with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) telling the conservative outlet that the Iranian government will exploit the waivers “to build up Iran’s nuclear program with the express intention of eventually developing nuclear weapons to inflict destruction on America and our allies.”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center tweeted, “US talks a good game about punishing Russia. But we rely on Russian interlocutor for Iran Nuke deal and greenlight $10billion for Russia to build nuclear sites for Iran? No wonder enemies mock us and friends and allies very very worried.”
US talks a good game about punishing Russia. But we rely on Russian interlocutor for Iran Nuke deal and greenlight $10billion for Russia to build nuclear sites for Iran? No wonder enemies mock us and friends and allies very very worried. https://t.co/cSz2bnrRm1
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) March 16, 2022
With reports of a new Iran deal coming soon, the pending agreement is facing scrutiny. Twelve House Democrats sent a letter to the Biden administration on March 10 stating that they are “highly concerned” over the coming deal, citing reports that it would remove the terrorist designation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as sanctions on members of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s office. “It is hard to envision supporting an agreement along the lines being publicly discussed,” they said.
Price said on March 17 that a new deal is “close” but they’re “not there yet,” though he sounded optimistic that “the remaining issues can be bridged,” The Times of Israel (TOI) reported. The TOI report also noted that Iran is transforming their uranium “into a type that is less easily recovered and diluted so that it can then be removed from the country” despite warnings from Britain, France and Germany against doing so.
“Can we expect Iran to adhere to a new deal if it continues its march toward military nuclear capability in the midst of negotiations?” the American Jewish Committee tweeted.
Iran is taking dangerous additional steps to enhance its nuclear program in blatant disregard of warnings from the West.
Can we expect Iran to adhere to a new deal if it continues its march toward military nuclear capability in the midst of negotiations? https://t.co/EqDpRXwgGr
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) March 17, 2022
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