Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
A number of European countries are interested in purchasing 20 tons of heavy water from Iran, says Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian atomic chief.
Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said his organization is capable of producing 20 tons of heavy water per year, Mehr news agency reported May 31.
He further described the heavy water as a strategic commodity.
The US government in April completed an $8.6 million deal to buy 32 tons of heavy water from Iran. However, 251 American lawmakers voted May 25 for a bill that would prohibit such purchases the next year. The measure is yet to be approved by the US Senate.
Meanwhile, Tehran and Moscow are eyeing a deal for exporting 40 tons of Iran's surplus heavy water to Russia.