WarSclerotic

A highly placed Zimbabwean government official is claiming that his country has signed a deal to sell raw uranium to Iran, The Times of London reported on Saturday.

“I have seen [a memorandum of understanding] to export uranium to the Iranians,” the Times quoted Zimbabwe’s Deputy Mining Minister Gift Chimanikire as saying. Chimanikire is an opposition politician who served in President Robert Mugabe’s outgoing coalition.

The deal would constitute a clear violation of international sanctions. According to Chimanikire, the deal will go through regardless of the US having warned Zimbabwe that there would be serious ramifications were the sale to be completed.

Iran’s nuclear policy has long been a source of concern for Israel, the United States and Europe. Faced with various economic sanctions and the possibility of a military strike, Iran has continued to pursue its attempt to attain nuclear capacity.

Newly sworn-in Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been in the spotlight as Western powers try to determine if he will be more likely to cooperate in regard to Iran’s nuclear program.

Zimbabwe has also been hit with international sanctions to its state-owned mining companies due to human rights abuses. Chimanikire said that the deal with Iran was a necessary alternative for the cash-strapped country given the sanctions against its mining industry.

The Times quoted British security officials as saying that they have been aware of ongoing talks between Iran and Zimbabwe regarding a possible uranium deal for more than two years.

Experts believe that the Zimbabwean uranium will be very difficult and costly to extract and may not be ready for export for some time, according to the Times.