The Islamic Republic of Iran purchased 300 tons of refined uranium from Niger in a secret deal that is part of Tehran’s drive to amass the resources for the construction of a nuclear weapons device.
The London-based independent news organization Iran International published a report in early June about Iran’s clandestine negotiations with Niger’s Junta government.
Banafsheh Zand, an Iranian-American journalist, wrote that the deal was first reported by the France-based news organization Africa Intelligence in late April. Iran reached an agreement with Niger to purchase 300 tons of yellowcake in exchange for the delivery of drones and surface-to-air missiles to Niger, wrote Iran International.
Yellowcake is a term used to describe concentrated uranium, a yellow-looking powder used to manufacture weapons-grade uranium for atomic weapons. Niger’s military regime denied the covert agreement with Tehran.
According to Iran International, the French daily newspaper Le Monde confirmed the secret deal between Iran and Niger. The mine in Arlit, Nigeria, where the uranium is being extracted, is owned by the French company Orano. READ MORE