Iran to develop nuclear-powered ships

Iran’s president says Tehran will respond to US sanctions by developing nuclear-powered ships.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is ordered to develop the country’s peaceful nuclear program … to plan for designing and building propulsion systems to be used in marine transportation,” Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani ordered, according to Iran’s official Fars news agency.

The US uses nuclear reactors to power its aircraft carriers and submarines.

Rouhani said the move was a response to the US Senate voting to extend the Iran Sanctions Act by 10 years earlier this month.

The nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers lifted a variety of international sanctions in exchange for limitations on the Iranian nuclear program. However, the US still maintains its own separate set of sanctions, which will expire on December 31 if President Barack Obama does not sign the extension into law.