Construction work at Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran, on November 10, 2019. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Iran is seeking Russian help to bolster its nuclear program, US intelligence officials believe, while Tehran is seeking a backup plan if a permanent nuclear deal with world powers fails.
The intelligence services indicate that Iran has asked Russia for help in acquiring additional nuclear materials and in manufacturing nuclear fuel, sources briefed on the matter said. The fuel could help Iran power its nuclear reactors and could potentially further reduce Iran’s so-called “breakout time” to create a nuclear weapon.
However, experts stressed to CNN that the risk of nuclear proliferation differs depending on which reactor the fuel is used for. Nor is it clear whether Russia has pledged its help — the Kremlin has long outwardly opposed Iran getting a nuclear weapon.
But the Iranian proposal comes amid an expanding partnership between Iran and Russia, which in recent months has included Iran sending drones and other equipment to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine, and Moscow possibly advising Tehran how to quell a protest movement sweeping Iran, US officials said.
Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only and that it has officially ended its weapons program, but US officials have said Iran’s uranium enrichment activities have gone well beyond the parameters of the 2015 nuclear deal and that the The time it would take Iran to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon has been greatly exceeded to just a few months.
In June, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned lawmakers that Iran’s nuclear program is “galloping forward… The longer this goes on, the shorter the breakout time… it’s now down to a few months at best, according to public reports.” And if this continues, it will add up to a few weeks.”
The Biden administration is watching with concern any new areas of cooperation between Iran and Russia. Any covert Russian aid to Iran that could boost Iran’s efforts to create a nuclear weapon would also be a significant game changer, given Russia’s membership in the P5+1 group of countries involved in negotiations to halt Iran’s nuclear program mean in Russian politics.
“As we have said, the JCPOA is not on the agenda,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told CNN, referring to the official name of the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. “We’ve worked with partners to uncover the growing ties between Iran and Russia — and hold them accountable.” We will take firm action against any cooperation that would conflict with our non-proliferation goals.”
The Iranian Mission to the United Nations and the Russian Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
correction: A previous version of this story has been updated to clarify the description of Iran’s nuclear program.
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