Iran is willing to grant Japan the contract for the construction of five new nuclear plants, according to Iranian Parliamentary Foreign Policy and National Security Committee Chairman Alaeddin Boroujerdi. He adds that ‘Japan’s participation would be in the interest of both the Government of Japan and private companies.’ Japan is being allowed to invest in the construction of nuclear power plants in Iran.

Iran has been encouraging Japan to decide by itself, independent of its relationship with the United States. This was in response to allegations from the West that Iran’s nuclear power plants will be used for military purposes.

Iran has been defending its nuclear ambitions as energy power generation for electricity and other civilian uses. The tension between Iran and Western countries regarding the suspicion about a nuclear weapon program has escalated in recent weeks.

While the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly announced that building nuclear weapons is against the Islamic faith, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the start of 20% uranium enrichment in the country’s Natanz nuclear power plant. This decision prompted the US, UK, France, and Germany to resume with greater determination the option of imposing new sanctions on the Islamic regime. Russia and China, on the other hand, see more possibilities in diplomatic negotiations.

Recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed its concern over the possible military dimension to Iran’s controversial nuclear program, and that the country could now be making a nuclear weapon.

Photo Courtesy of Hamed Saber

Wikimedia Commons

Via zawya