Jun 11, 2025
Iranian state media has announced a major advancement in its strategic alliance with Russia: an agreement for Moscow to build eight nuclear power plants in Iran, four of which will be located in the southern city of Bushehr. This deal, confirmed by Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), aims to triple the country’s nuclear energy output and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The expansion builds on a long-standing partnership, as Russia previously helped construct Iran’s first nuclear reactor at Bushehr, which has been operational since 2013. Currently, two more units are under construction at the same site, and this new agreement marks a dramatic scale-up of Iran’s nuclear ambitions amid continued tensions with the West.
The announcement comes as Iran faces growing energy demands and persistent sanctions that have hampered its oil and gas sector. While the deal is framed as an effort to meet domestic energy needs, critics argue that the move may also serve geopolitical aims, reinforcing the Russia-Iran alliance in opposition to Western influence. The U.S. and its allies remain wary, concerned about the potential for dual-use nuclear technology to advance Iran’s weapons capabilities. However, Russia’s commitment to supply and retrieve nuclear fuel is seen as a safeguard, similar to the arrangement with the existing Bushehr reactor. As Iran presses forward with this nuclear expansion—and a parallel $4 billion oil field development deal with Russian firms—the partnership underscores a shifting global power dynamic, one that could have significant implications for international nuclear diplomacy and regional stability.
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SOURCE: Jerusalem Post