AEOI spox: US was once after buying high-quality heavy water from Iran

The spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (IAEA) says the heavy water produced in the Islamic Republic is among the best in the world, and that there was even a time when the US was seeking to purchase the Iranian-made product.

Behrouz Kamalvandi said, “There was a period of time that the Americans were after buying [Iranian heavy water] following their analyses. There are documents indicating that.”

He elaborated on the growing use of radioisotopes and heavy water in the nuclear medicine sector, including in the development of a screening kit capable of detecting about 47 metabolic diseases at birth.

The official said nuclear technology is increasingly used in various fields and industries, including in the production of radiopharmaceuticals, which can be used to diagnose and treat all types of cancer.

He said heavy water was a subject of dispute over the Iranian nuclear program and attempts were made to prevent the Islamic Republic from running heavy water plants.

“Due to containing deuterium, the water that undergoes enrichment is used in various fields of medicine and fusion, which is the future source of energy for humans,” he said.

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