The Obama administration’s $8.6 million purchase of nuclear material from Iran appears to have stalled over Iranian demands that the United States hand over the money in advance, according to recent remarks by Iranian officials.
U.S. officials have been telling the Washington Free Beacon for more than a month that the deal would be completed in “the coming weeks.”
However, the administration has declined multiple attempts to obtain further information about the taxpayer-funded sale, which congressional leaders claim is “potentially illegal.”
Iranian officials stated this week that the Islamic Republic would not move forward with the sale of 32 tons of heavy water, a nuclear byproduct, until the United States agrees to pay the $8.6 million price tag in advance of the delivery.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials at the State, Treasury, and Energy Departments remain mum about the holdup despite repeated questions from the Free Beacon and other reporters.
One U.S. official told the Free Beacon in late April that the administration “cannot discuss details of the payment until after the purchase is complete.”
Asked several more times between April and May to disclose details about the sale, an Energy Department official only said the sale would be completed “in the coming weeks.”
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