nuclear-news

Uranium mining deal between Iran and Zimbabwe

The pact seems certain to place Iran under even greater scrutiny by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Iran strikes secret nuclear mining deal with Mugabe regime, zimbabwemetro.com, Raymond Mhaka on Apr 25th, 2010 The agreement was sealed last month during a visit to Tehran by a close aide to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president who last weekend celebrated 30 years in power, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

In return for supplying oil, which Zimbabwe desperately needs to keep its faltering economy moving, Iran has been promised access to potentially huge deposits of uranium ore – which can be converted into the basic fuel for nuclear power or enriched to make a nuclear bomb.

“Iran secured the exclusive uranium rights last month when minister of state for Presidential affairs, Didymus Mutasa visited Tehran,” said a Zimbabwean government source. “That is when the formal signing of the deal was made, away from the glare of the media.”…………

Iran maintains that its efforts are aimed solely at providing energy but the United Nations Security Council is considering imposing harsher sanctions against it because of its refusal to allow proper monitoring of its nuclear sites. Mr Ahmadinejad has boasted of his country’s plans to step up construction and use of the special centrifuges needed to enrich uranium to ever higher levels – putting a nuclear weapon within reach.

Most of Iran’s uranium came from South Africa during the 1970s, but its stockpiles are running low, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt, so its access to Zimbabwe’s reserves has been granted at a crucial moment…..The pact seems certain to place Iran under even greater scrutiny by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). UPDATED:Iran strikes secret nuclear mining deal with Mugabe regime | zimbabwemetro.com

April 26, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Iran, politics international | antinuclear, disarmament, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear weapons, uranium