(Joshua Paladino, Headline USA) The Biden administration announced on March 15 that sanctions will not apply to a $10 billion nuclear power project that a Russian energy company intends to complete for Iran under the nuclear agreement, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
One provision in the Iran nuclear agreement states that the Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Russia’s largest nuclear company, will develop the Bushehr nuclear plant, which is on the Persian Gulf.
“We, of course, would not sanction Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full implementation of the JCPOA,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said about the effort to revive the Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
In a similar statement, the Russian foreign ministry confirmed that the United States and the NATO nations would not punish Russia as it fulfills contracts in the Iran nuclear deal.
“Additions were made to the text of the future agreement on #JCPOA restoration to ensure that all the JCPOA-related projects, esp. with Russian participation, as well as Bushehr NPP, are protected from negative impact of anti-Russian restrictions by US & EU,” the Russian Mission in Vienna tweeted.
President Joe Biden has implemented financial and trade sanctions on Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, yet the administration continues to let China and Russia renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal on America’s behalf.
Plus, the sanctions have caused international oil and natural gas prices to rise, further fueling the Russian economy that thrives on high energy prices.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies called the JCPOA a “sanctions evasion hub for Vladimir Putin based in Iran.” A former State Department special adviser for Iran during the Trump administration said that the JCPOA will funnel cash to Russia even as the Biden administration is supposedly trying to cripple Moscow’s economy.
“Rosatom’s projects in Iran are crucial to the company’s future financial viability—that’s exactly why we should shut them down by disrupting their foreign contracts—especially those with a regime like Iran,” said Gabriel Noronha, who worked under former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
“We’re doing the opposite,” he said. “The United States should sanction Rosatom for its involvement in Russia’s war on Ukraine, but in classic fashion, we’re giving them full sanctions immunity that will stabilize Rosatom’s finances.”
