The United States is set to purchase $8.6 million worth of heavy water, a component used in nuclear production, from the Iranian government, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Heavy water is a close chemical relative of water whose distinctive properties make it a critical component in the production of nuclear weapons and energy. Heavy water, D2O, is present naturally in water, but in only small amounts, less than 1 part in 5,000 and allows a nuclear reactor to operate with natural uranium as its fuel.
The deal is set to take place on Friday. U.S. officials said the 32 tons of heavy water will be shipped by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in the coming weeks.
Rep. Ed Royce (R., Calif.) raised concerns by asking, “What assurances can you provide that U.S. taxpayer funds that Iran receives through this purchase will not be used to fund Iran’s nuclear program…or Tehran’s destabilizing activities in Iraq, Syria Lebanon and elsewhere?”
However, U.S. officials wouldn’t specify how the Department of Energy would pay Iran for the heavy water.
It is quite surprising that it was merely months ago, that Iran’s nuclear program was an international pariah. Now it’s supplying the U.S. Department of Energy.
Ironically, according to the International Business Times, the nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries included terms that called for reconfiguration of Iran's Arak heavy-water nuclear reactor so that it was rendered incapable of producing plutonium.
What is going on here? Why are we not producing our own heavy water? Why are we spending America's hard earned money for the benefit of Iran? These are the people who recently captured 10 of our U.S. sailors, flew drones over our aircraft carrier, and repeatedly warned our executive office to stand down. When will it stop?