Iran and Russia Discuss Nuclear Cooperation as Moscow Pitches Small Reactors

Russia’s state nuclear corporation says Iran and Russia have discussed expanding nuclear cooperation, including the possible construction of small nuclear power plants in Iran and the condition of the Bushehr nuclear facility.

Alexey Likhachev, director general of Rosatom, said the issue was discussed during a bilateral meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek. According to reports by Iran’s IRNA and Russia’s RIA Novosti, the meeting took place on 10 Shahrivar, with Likhachev speaking the following day on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

Likhachev said the two countries had exchanged views on the further development of cooperation in the nuclear sector. He added that Iran and Russia had already signed agreements concerning the construction of another site for large nuclear power plants.

## Proposed small nuclear plants

According to Likhachev, Iranian officials had previously raised the possibility of building small nuclear power plants. In response, Rosatom presented the Iranian side with a draft intergovernmental agreement for their construction.

The report does not specify the proposed sites, the number of reactors, their generating capacity or a construction timetable. It also does not say that a final construction contract has been signed for the small plants. Instead, it describes a draft agreement and refers to planned contracts that would be prepared and signed by the competent organisations of both countries.

A separate memorandum on cooperation in building small nuclear power plants in Iran was announced by Rosatom on 2 Mehr 1404. The memorandum followed a meeting in Moscow between Mohammad Eslami, Iran’s vice president and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and Likhachev.

The memorandum was described as supporting the peaceful use of nuclear energy, sustainable development, energy security and technological progress, while operating within the countries’ national laws and international commitments. It envisages agreements for the design and construction of facilities based on small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs.

The Iranian and Russian sides said SMR technology could contribute to Iran’s technical knowledge and nuclear-industrial capabilities. They also linked the technology to supplying power to major industries and helping balance the country’s electricity grid. The source report described small modular reactors as a major area of interest in the global development of nuclear energy, while providing no further details about the technical design or regulatory arrangements under consideration in Iran.

## Bushehr plant under review

The status of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was also discussed during the presidents’ meeting, according to Likhachev. He said the situation at the plant was currently calm.

Likhachev further said that Rosatom specialists would begin scheduled maintenance at Bushehr from the middle of September, including the replacement of fuel assemblies. He said fuel for replacing part of the plant’s fuel assemblies had already been delivered.

The maintenance is described as planned work on the plant’s first unit. Likhachev said Rosatom personnel were not only working on the construction of Bushehr’s second and third units but were also preparing to begin scheduled maintenance on the first unit.

The reports do not provide a detailed timetable for the maintenance, the expected duration of the work or any estimate of its effect on electricity generation. They also do not give a new completion date for the second and third units.

## Expansion around Bushehr

The latest statements build on earlier plans for expanding Iran’s nuclear generating capacity. In an interview with Russia’s Channel One in Aban 1404, Likhachev said Rosatom was working on two nuclear power units, each with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, near Bushehr’s existing unit. He said at the time that construction was progressing.

The new remarks therefore point to two parallel tracks in Iran-Russia nuclear cooperation: the continued development of large reactor units at Bushehr and the exploration of smaller, modular facilities that could serve industrial and grid needs.

However, the information available in the reports does not establish whether the proposed small reactors have moved beyond preliminary intergovernmental arrangements. It also does not clarify how the small-reactor plans relate to the previously announced large units, or whether separate financing, licensing and construction agreements have been completed.

## Broader cooperation

The discussions come as Moscow and Tehran seek to expand cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Rosatom’s statements present Iran’s nuclear programme as an area in which Russia intends to participate if conditions return to normal, with Likhachev saying that Iran would develop its nuclear programme under those circumstances.

The source reports do not define what Likhachev meant by a return to normal conditions. They also do not provide statements from the Iranian president or other Iranian officials about the outcome of the leaders’ meeting, beyond the previously reported memorandum and discussions involving the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

For now, the announcements indicate continued political and technical engagement rather than a fully detailed implementation plan. The next concrete steps identified in the reports would be the preparation and signing of contracts for SMR-based plants, the continuation of work on Bushehr’s second and third units, and the scheduled maintenance and fuel replacement at the first unit.