European Firms Seek to Buy Iran’s Heavy Water: Senior Nuclear Official.

European Firms Seek to Buy Iran’s Heavy Water: Senior Nuclear Official. (IFPNews).

Behrouz Kamalvandi, who is the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said Friday that the volume of the nuclear material sought by the companies stands at “several tons.”

He explained that Iran currently has no surplus of heavy water and that countries seeking purchases will have to place orders several months in advance.

“Even so, we will be hard pressed to address such orders by the year-end if we do receive them,” he told the Fars news agency in an interview.


Iran, which had been the subject of tight sanctions over its nuclear program until recently, has found new markets for its heavy water following a deal that it struck with six world powers last year.

Earlier this month, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the AEOI, said Iran had sold 32 tons of heavy water to the US and delivered 38 tons of the nuclear material to Russia.

Referring to US purchases of Iranian heavy water, Kamalvandi said the Americans congratulated Iranian officials for the high-level purity of the nuclear product after receiving it.

He said the US is currently selling Iran’s heavy water at its pharmaceutical and research markets. “This,” he said, “is a source of national pride.”

The AEOI spokesman further said that so far, Iran has sold 70 tons of its heavy water on the international market thanks to the JCPOA.

Under the deal, Tehran can keep a heavy water stockpile of 130 tons and offer the surplus for sale on the market.


The administration of US President Barack Obama said in April that Washington would buy 8.6 million dollars worth of heavy water from Iran. Read the full story here.

"Sanctions That Benefit" - Trade turnover between Iran and U.S. growing despite of sanctions.

"Sanctions That Benefit" - Trade turnover between Iran and U.S. growing despite of sanctions.(Taz).

Despite of the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and its allies on Iran, the trade turnover between the U.S. and Iran is growing, Iranian ambassador to Azerbaijan Mohsun Pakayin told Trend on Feb.1.

The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $360 million as of 2013, according to the ambassador. The trade turnover between the U.S. and Iran was equal to $252.3 million in 2012, according to ISNA news agency.

As a result of sanctions, the trade turnover between the two countries started to drop beginning from mid-2010, while its growth is observed from mid-2012, the diplomat said.

The trade turnover between the two countries increased by 39 percent (to $118.5 million) in January-April 2013 compared to the same period of 2012.

Pakayin pointed out that immediately after the imposing of the sanctions a decrease was observed in economic relations of the two countries. However, later the U.S. companies began to find circuitous legal ways for cooperation, after which the trade turnover began to grow.

Taking into account the agreement signed in Geneva (lifting of several sanctions against Iran), the trade turnover between Iran and the U.S. will increase even more, the ambassador said.