As Iran and Russia deepened diplomatic ties on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin touted the possibility of new nuclear power units in Iran, according to Russian state news agency Tass.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department, Russian Foreign Ministry, and Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment via email on Saturday morning.
Why It Matters
Concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been a focus and concern of U.S. foreign diplomacy.
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran Nuclear Deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and has since remained a staunch critic of the agreement. The potential construction of additional nuclear power plants in Iran is focused on energy and electricity production, not weapons development.
The partnership between Iran and Russia, two countries that have tense relations with the U.S. and face American sanctions, comes as Trump prepares to take office again on Monday.
What To Know
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian who has been in office since July arrived in Moscow on Friday to meet with Putin and sign a 20-year strategic treaty.
The two nations, facing recent geopolitical shifts, are navigating impacts from Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, Israel’s military offensives against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a key ally. Assad sought asylum in Moscow following his regime’s collapse.
Iran and Russia have faced international sanctions and accusations of destabilizing activities—Russia for its actions in Ukraine and Iran for its regional ambitions and nuclear program. Iran, recently inducted into the BRICS bloc, seeks advanced Russian military technology to bolster its defenses amid growing tensions with Israel.
Outside of the treaty, both leaders noted the possibility of Russia constructing new nuclear power units in Iran.
At a press conference following their talks, Putin said, “We are now discussing the possibility of building additional [nuclear power] units…the work is ongoing, it is moving forward,” according to Tass. He also noted that the the two countries “have a huge project in nuclear energy. One unit is already operating, and it is operating successfully.”
Pezeshkian said on the matter, “Our NPP [nuclear power plant] construction agreements is good news. I think that they will be finalized today.”
Moscow and Tehran have collaborated on the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran since 1992. In 2014, the two nations signed a deal to build two additional reactors at the site, with operations expected to begin soon.
It is not yet known if the potential new nuclear power units would be at Bushehr or another site in Iran.
What People Are Saying
Nicole Grajewski, fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday: “The Russia and Iran treaty is substantial in many aspects. There is not mutual defense commitment but fairly robust clauses on military cooperation, intelligence sharing, domestic repression, information security/cyber, and sanctions evasion.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters ahead of the talks, according to Reuters: “Iran is an important partner for us with which we are developing multifaceted co-operation.”
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal, stating: “The Iran Deal was one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”
What Happens Next
The treaty solidifies an already robust partnership between Russia and Iran, with both nations likely to leverage it to counter Western influence. The agreement signals a strategic alignment that could further affect regional and global dynamics as Trump’s policies toward Iran take shape.
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