According to the Washington Free Beacon, Obama Administration officials announced that orders by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, to begin construction of two new nuclear plants, are in accord with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.
This has also been confirmed by the US State Department, whose representatives said that the Iran deal does not prohibit the construction of light-water reactors.
"The [nuclear deal] does not prevent Iran from pursuing new light-water reactors," said the State Department official. "Any new nuclear reactors in Iran will be subject to its safeguards obligations."
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, announced Thursday that Tehran has invested some $10 billion into construction of the two nuclear plants, following orders from President Rouhani.
"Russia could start building two more nuclear reactors at a cost of $10 billion" Salehi said after a meeting of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan in Baku on August 8.
Russian Energy minister Alexander Novak confirmed that pre-construction works in Iran are ongoing.
These developments have resulted in a stream of criticism from US Republican lawmakers, who insist Iran's intentions are nefarious.
"Secretary Kerry seems to think that the mullahs are interested in curing cancer and civilian energy production, but their rapid progress in ballistic missile technology suggests they are far more determined to develop the nuclear weapons these projectiles are designed to deliver," the Washington Free Beacon quotes former presidential candidate Ted Cruz saying.
"This is just the most recent confirmation of how misguided, shortsighted, and downright dangerous the Obama Administration's nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic truly is," he claimed.
