The Head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, confirmed a long-standing agreement with Russia for the construction of eight nuclear plants in the southern Iranian provinces of Bushehr and Hormozgan. “Since the 1980s, the agreement between the governments of Iran and Russia has included the construction of eight large-scale power plants. Four of these power plants with a capacity of 5,000 MWe have been planned for Bushehr,” he said. He added that a second cluster of four units will be constructed in Hormozgan Province.
He explained that a memorandum of understanding, described as a “pre-contract”, has already been signed, accelerating the incorporation of the project into an executable implementation plan. He said the second part of the agreement focuses on developing small modular reactors (SMRs), which were not part of the original contract. An initial understanding has already been signed in Russia, and the main contract is expected to be finalised shortly, he noted.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Eslami clarified that the presence of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors in Iran is now severely restricted and operates strictly in line with a law, unanimously adopted by Parliament on 25 June, requiring the government to suspend all cooperation with the IAEA.
The law was adopted following Israeli-US strikes on its nuclear facilities “in a clear violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)”. Eslami explained that the new law sets two conditions: the IAEA must condemn attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites and provide a formal guarantee to protect information related to Iran’s nuclear industry. “Up to this point, the IAEA has not fulfilled its legal duty,” he said.
Eslami highlighted that the presence of inspectors in Iran is not determined by the IAEA but occurs only under conditions approved by national authorities. “Inspections are limited to cases coordinated by the Foreign Ministry and the Supreme National Security Council,” he said. He noted that only two pre-approved inspections – at the Bushehr NPP and the Tehran research reactor – have been authorised, during which inspectors “arrived, conducted their inspections, and then left the country”.
He also announced plans to open a new radiation processing centre in northwestern Ardabil Province to support agricultural production and expand Iran’s national irradiation network.
