Iran, Russia sign $25 billion deal to build four nuclear power plants, IRNA says
Deal deepens energy ties as Tehran pursues expanded civilian nuclear capacity amid regional tensions
Tehran and Moscow signed a $25 billion agreement to construct four nuclear power plants in Iran, IRNA said on Friday. The project would be built on a site spanning about 500 hectares in the Sirik district of Hormozgan province in the southeast and would aim to generate about 5,000 megawatts of electricity. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Moscow with Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which has previously built Iran's only operating nuclear plant at Bushehr.
IRNA described the four units as Generation III reactors. Bushehr, Iran's current nuclear facility, has a capacity of around 1,000 megawatts, underscoring the scale of the planned expansion.
Iran has faced electricity shortages during times of high demand, and officials say the deal would bolster civilian energy capacity. The Sirik project would add to Iran's existing generation mix and shift the country’s energy reliance in part toward nuclear power, a move Tehran has promoted as part of diversifying its energy sources amid domestic and regional pressures.
Russia's involvement comes as Moscow maintains close ties with Tehran and has publicly supported Iran in various international forums. In June, Moscow condemned U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, signaling Moscow's alignment with Tehran on several fronts despite broader Western concerns about Iran's nuclear activities.
Israel has asserted that Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons; Tehran says it has no such intention. The dispute over Iran's nuclear program has long drawn attention from Western capitals and regional states alike, with Iran insisting the program is civilian and for peaceful purposes.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei spoke in a televised address on Sept. 23, 2025, in a period marked by public messaging about Iran's energy and defense strategies. The remarks occurred as Tehran pushed forward with major energy plans that involve international partners, including Russia.
Details on financing, construction timelines, safeguards and oversight were not disclosed publicly in the IRNA report.
