US says natural uranium batch imports to Iran not forbidden

Addressing a press conference, State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters there was no prohibition on such imports by Iran and noted natural uranium 'cannot be used for a weapon' in its original form.

'Two senior diplomats said the transfer recently approved by the U.S. and five other world powers that negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran foresees delivery of nearly 130 tons of natural uranium,' USA Today reported.

USA Today quoted Kirby as saying any natural uranium transferred to Iran after the deal came into effect would be under strict surveillance by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency for 25 years after implementation of the deal.

'Such arrangements are 'subject to the careful monitoring and inspections that are included in the deal to ensure that Iran is living up to the commitments that they made,' White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

The swap is in compensation for the approximately 44 tons of heavy water exported by Iran to Russia since the nuclear agreement went into effect, said an official from one of the six powers, who also demanded anonymity citing confidentiality issues. Another 30 metric tons have gone to the U.S. and Oman.

Heavy water is used to cool a type of reactor that produces more plutonium than reactors cooled by light water. Like enriched uranium, plutonium can be turned into the fissile core of a nuclear weapon.

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