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Iran and Russia are advancing plans to build small modular nuclear reactors. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has said the two countries are preparing to sign a protocol to speed up cooperation.
According to AnewZ, the organization’s spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, said the sides were working to accelerate the joint development and construction of small modular reactors. “We are in a good position in the field of small modular reactors and are in the process of signing a protocol with the Russian side to jointly build these reactors more quickly,” he said.
In a television interview broadcast on Wednesday, Kamalvandi said Iran’s nuclear industry had reached “full maturity” and achieved “self-sufficiency” in building nuclear power plants. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said this on its website.
Kamalvandi, the organization’s deputy for international, legal and parliamentary affairs, said the Darkhovin nuclear power plant under construction near Ahvaz had been targeted by Israeli and U.S. strikes intended to obstruct Iran’s nuclear development. The attacks, he said, sought to “prevent the implementation of plans and projects considered symbols of Iran’s progress.”
“The enemies oppose Iran’s progress. Nevertheless, our country has made significant achievements in various areas of the nuclear industry. This progress is not limited to the fuel cycle; it also covers areas such as power plant construction and nuclear safety,” Kamalvandi said.
Iran’s nuclear facilities and projects with Russia
In July, Tehran condemned a U.S. airstrike on the Karun Nuclear Power Plant in the Darkhovin area of the southwestern Khuzestan province. Iran called on the United Nations to adopt a policy of “zero tolerance” toward attacks on civilian nuclear facilities subject to international safeguards.
In a statement, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said the facility was under the supervision and safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as well as the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement between Iran and the agency. The statement said the plant’s activities were “peaceful and legal.”
After Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025, Tehran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, accusing it of failing to condemn the attacks. Iran later refused to allow agency inspectors access to damaged facilities. The Iranian parliament also barred agency Director General Rafael Grossi from visiting the country.
Russia remains a key partner in Iran’s nuclear energy program. The two countries are pursuing several projects in addition to the existing Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant.
Iran’s first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit, the Bushehr plant, was connected to the country’s electricity grid in 2012 under an agreement with Russia. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Germany’s Siemens withdrew from the project, and Russian company Rosatom continued construction. The initial construction contract was signed in 1974.
Kamalvandi said the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant had so far prevented about 86 million tonnes of pollutants from being released into the atmosphere and had helped save 132 million barrels of oil. He also pointed to plans to build 1,200 nuclear power plants like Bushehr worldwide as part of efforts to reduce environmental harm.
In addition to Bushehr, Iran is pursuing four other nuclear energy projects of varying capacity with Russian participation. These include the Darkhovin plant.
Agreements cover 300- and 1,250-megawatt reactors
In December, Tehran announced plans to build nuclear power plants using local expertise and industrial capabilities. “We want to have our own power plants,” Kamalvandi said at the time.
Iran is working with Russia on a 300-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin, Khuzestan province, he said. Kamalvandi stressed that the country’s industrial sector could produce key components, including steam generators, boilers and turbines.
Cooperation expanded further in October, when Tehran and Moscow signed nuclear energy agreements covering power generation and the construction of new reactors. The agreements include plans to develop small modular reactors capable of generating 300 megawatts of electricity, as well as four large reactors, each with a capacity of 1,250 megawatts. The four large reactors are expected to cost more than $25 billion.
Nuclear energy cooperation is part of efforts by Tehran and Moscow to strengthen their economic and strategic ties. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral relations and advancing joint projects at a meeting in Moscow on Tuesday.
At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, the leaders reviewed progress on joint initiatives and discussed regional issues. Earlier that month, they also met on the sidelines of the Commonwealth of Independent States summit and a Caspian Sea environmental summit in Turkmenistan.
A statement published on the website of Iran’s Presidential Administration said the sides reviewed achievements in bilateral relations and focused on strengthening economic and strategic cooperation in key areas, including energy, agriculture, transport and trade.
