Nov 03, Kathmandu - Iran has announced that it will build eight new nuclear power plants with Russian assistance. According to Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the project will be an important part of Iran's national effort to expand its clean and sustainable energy production capacity.

Iran and Russia have signed a new agreement to build four nuclear power plants in Bushehr and four others on the country’s northern and southern coasts, the Tasnim news agency reported.

The plants are aimed at ensuring a supply of “stable and clean nuclear energy” and enabling Iran to produce around 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power, the AEOI chief said.

Russian news agency Tass quoted the AEOI press service as saying that construction of a new nuclear plant has begun in Iran's northern Golestan province. It also said that the nuclear project in Khuzestan province, which was started before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, is now planned to be completed.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reiterated his country's commitment to its "peaceful nuclear program," vowing that "Iran will not build weapons under any circumstances."

“Producing a bomb is a small, disproportionate and inhumane part of this field, while the rest of scientific efforts are focused on meeting the needs of human life,” President Pezheskian said during a visit to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization. He also accused Western powers of trying to make independent nations dependent on advanced technology.

The president said, “The assassination attempts and hostility against Iranian scientists are the result of the fear of some powers for Iran’s scientific and technological independence.”

It is worth noting that in June 2025, Israel carried out airstrikes targeting Iran’s major nuclear facilities, including Natanz and Fordow. The US military also joined the attack on Iranian enrichment facilities during the 12-day conflict.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump recently warned, “If Iran restarts its nuclear facilities, the US will be prepared for new military action.”

In an interview with CBS News, Trump pointed out the need for the US to resume nuclear testing, saying, “Russia has announced that it will test, North Korea is testing continuously, other countries are doing it too. The US is the only country that is not testing right now, and I don’t want that to continue.”

Trump made the comments after Russia recently tested an advanced nuclear-capable system, including the Poseidon underwater drone.

Trump claimed, “The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country in the world. We have the capacity to destroy the world 150 times over. Russia has enough weapons, and China will soon have more,” adding, “I have discussed nuclear disarmament with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.”

The new nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia is expected to open a new chapter in energy independence in the Middle East, but analysts also see the potential for a new political upheaval among Western powers.