The announcement comes as Iran and Russia are involved in consequential but separate geopolitical quagmires. Russia is currently engaged in a war with Ukraine and has come under scrutiny lately for repeatedly violating the airspace of several European countries with drones and aircraft. Iran was in a 12-day conflict with Israel over the summer and is on the verge of receiving sanctions by the U.N. over its nuclear program. 

Additionally, the U.S. bombed several of Iran’s nuclear sites in June. 

It marks the second time Russia has built nuclear power plants in Iran. The country previously built the plant at Bushehr, which became operational in 2010. The city will also be the site of multiple plants built by Russia.

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“We have a power plant that has been active with Russian assistance for more than 12 years and is continuously evaluated by the ‘VANO’ Nuclear Association in terms of safety,” said Behrouz Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. “The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has always received the highest score from the ‘VANO’ Nuclear Association, 100 out of 100, which indicates the quality of this power plant and, of course, the good and appropriate political relations between the two countries. It is natural that cooperation in this area should be developed further.”

“The issue of small-scale power plants is also of great importance, because the future of the world is moving towards such power plants,” Kamalvandi said to Iranian state media. “These power plants are modular and have the ability to be replicated. We can receive an important part of their construction technology from Russia. In this regard, a memorandum of understanding was signed, and a team from Russia is scheduled to travel to Iran for further follow-up.”

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, signed the agreement.

“These reactors will play an important role in the development of technical knowledge and nuclear technology and industries related to the manufacture of power plant tools and equipment in Iran,” said AEOI. “In addition, the acquisition of small-scale modular reactor technology can provide a new capacity to power large industries and balance the electricity network.”

Russia has long supported Iran’s development and use of nuclear energy for domestic purposes. A Rosatom spokesman said the meeting was productive and “took place in an atmosphere of mutual trust, openness, and constructiveness.”

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Eslami briefly commented on the agreement’s contents, mentioning that it involved eight nuclear power plants, four of which are in Bushehr. 

“The contract between the governments of the two countries envisages the construction of eight nuclear power units by Russia, four of which are in Bushehr,” Eslami said.