AEOI Confirms Iran’s Shipping of Heavy Water to Oman for Further Sale

Iran has transported heavy water to Oman for subsequent sale, Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi said Sunday, confirming earlier media reports.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing its sources, that Iran had sent 11 metric tons of heavy water to one of its ports, allegedly to Oman. After the shipment, the Iranian stockpile of heavy water was supposed to decrease to 120 metric tons.

"Given the progress in negotiations with several companies and states on purchase of heavy water surplus, it was transported to Oman," Kamalvandi said, as quoted by the ISNA news agency.

Kamalvandi added that a part of the resource would be sold to the other states, however he did not specify the volumes of the shipped away surplus.

On Thursday, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano warned that Iran should not to exceed the threshold for heavy water production under last year’s deal with world leaders on its nuclear program. The IAEA estimates that Iran has amassed over 130 metric tons of heavy water as of early November, for the second time since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was reached in July 2015.

On July 14, 2015, Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia plus Germany — signed the JCPOA, ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear program in return for the gradual lifting of sanctions. The agreement came into force on January 16, after the IAEA submitted a report confirming the readiness of Iran's authorities to implement a program to reduce the country’s nuclear potential.