Iran reportedly bought 300 tons of uranium from Niger

Iran bought 300 tons of uranium from Niger to be used for its nuclear program in exchange of drones and surface-to-air missiles, London-based media Iran International reported.

The news came in a long report earlier this month by Iranian-American reporter Banafsheh Zand, echoing an earlier report on Africa Intelligence that raised secret talks between Tehran and Niamey to acquire uranium.

Niger military junta denied the transaction, reportedly worth $56 million, as Iran seeks the concentrated yellow uranium substance to speed up its nuclear weapons program.

French Le Monde also confirmed the deal between Iran and Niger, noting the mine in Arlit where concentrated uranium is abundant is extracted by French company Orano.

Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rebuked Iran for its lack of cooperation with agency inspectors and the UK, France and Germany wrote to the UN Security Council denouncing Iran’s violations of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Although Niger’s authorities denied the deal, Niamey has been surfing on anti-western rhetoric and has been at loggerheads with France while asking the US to withdraw its troops. Meanwhile Niger tilts closer to Russia as does its neighbors.