Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi. Photo: Wikipedia.

An Iranian official confirmed that his country had received a large delivery of “yellow cake” from Russia, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said that Tehran had received nearly 197 tons of of uranium concentrate powder needed for the enrichment process, in exchange for 11 tons of low enriched uranium (LEU).

Salehi said that Iran had carried out the exchange with Russia in accordance with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s letter regarding compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Protocol of Action (JCPOA), which instructed that Iran first take delivery of the yellow cake before exporting the LEU.

Salehi also expressed his hope that the JCPOA would be implemented soon, leading to the lifting of all sanctions on Iran, and to the restoration of its international standing to “normal.”