UK paper: African nation to trade uranium ore deposits for oil.
By AP, JPOST.COM STAFFahmadinejad Koran 311(photo credit: Associated Press)
Iran has struck a nuclear mining deal with Zimbabwe, The Sunday Telegraph reported Sunday as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was visiting Africa.According to the UK paper, the deal was sealed in Teheran in March by a close aide of Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe. The agreement will reportedly entail Zimbabwe to provide Iran with access to deposits of uranium ore in return for oil."Iran secured the exclusive uranium rights last month, when the minister of state for presidential affairs, Didymus Mutasa, visited Teheran," a Zimbabwean official told the Telegraph.Iran's president is in Africa this week to build alliances to evadestronger UN sanctions for his country's nuclear program, ease itsinternational isolation and strengthen its economy.On Saturday, Ahmadinejad flouted any more United Nations sanctions onhis nuclear program as illegal, insisting he would not submit to anysuch pressure based on the United States and Britain "lying" about theevidence.The Iranian leader, wrapping up two days of talks with UgandanPresident Yoweri Museveni, lambasted the Western allies for pressingfor another round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran.He letloose when asked by an Associated Press reporter to discuss his effortto evade more UN sanctions by meeting with Uganda, a non-permanentmember of the 15-nation council. The council is preparing to consider afourth round of sanctions on Teheran for its nuclear defiance."The nuclear issue of Iran has turned into a big test for the entireworld," Ahmadinejad said, adding that the US and Britain "say they areconcerned about the building of a nuclear bomb, but they are lying likethe other previous lies.
