TEHRAN - Rich uranium mines have been discovered in Iran’s southern and central areas, Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Deputy Director Mohammad Saeedi said here on Monday.

A vast layer of uranium extends across the country’s central desert to the south, Saeedi told the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
Currently only the regions of Saghand and Bandar Abbas at the start and end of the area are being exploited, however, the region in between is rich with uranium, he explained.
Two third of the country has not been explored from the airborne yet, he said, adding, “This year the administration has allocated a budget for more exploration for uranium, and therefore within four years we can have a precise scope of uranium mines throughout the country.”
In the next 20 years, the country requires at least 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity, and a bid was held in the past three months to establish new power plants, in which companies from any country could participate, Saeedi noted.
“We should make Iran a manufacturer of nuclear power plants in the next 10 years,” he stated.
He also said that 700 Iranian experts have been trained in building power plant in Russia