Iran worried over delay in Chinese nuclear reactor redesign

Tehran says that China has slowed down working on its redesign of a heavy water reactor in Iran, following the US withdrawal from Tehran’s nuclear agreement with world powers.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s nuclear agency, is quoted by state-run news agency IRNA as saying that “the Chinese side decreased the speed of cooperation with us despite their commitments.” He says Iran has “alternative” choices if China cannot not fulfill its job. Salehi speculates that Beijing fears possible sanctions by the US if it continues cooperation with Iran but did not elaborate further.

Under the 2015 nuclear agreement, experts from the United States and China were to help Iran redesign the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor to limit the amount of plutonium it produces as a byproduct.

— AP