Russia signals possible construction of new nuclear plants in Iran

Russia has indicated that it could construct new nuclear power plants in Iran, according to statements reported by Mehr News. The two countries have previously collaborated on the construction of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in southwestern Iran, a project that has served as a cornerstone of their nuclear energy cooperation.

Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear energy corporation, announced earlier in the day that the first power unit at the Bushehr plant has been taken offline for maintenance. The maintenance work will include Russian specialists, underscoring the ongoing technical involvement of Russia in Iran's nuclear energy sector.

Alexey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom, said that there are currently 80 Rosatom employees stationed at the Bushehr site. His remarks were cited in the report by Mehr News. The presence of these personnel reflects the continued operational and maintenance support provided by Russia for the facility.

The announcement about potential new plants comes amid longstanding bilateral cooperation in the nuclear energy field. The Bushehr plant, Iran's first and only operational nuclear power plant, was built with Russian assistance and has been a focal point of the two countries' energy partnership. The possibility of additional nuclear plants would represent a significant expansion of that collaboration.

No further details were provided regarding the timeline, location, or capacity of any proposed new plants. The report by Mehr News did not specify whether formal agreements or negotiations are underway for such projects. The statement from Likhachev and the maintenance announcement were the primary developments reported.

According to Mehr News, the two countries previously worked together on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, and Rosatom's announcement about the maintenance outage included the participation of Russian specialists. The report added that Likhachev confirmed the presence of 80 Rosatom employees at the site.