Iran has agreed on a $56 million deal with Niger to purchase 300 tons of refined uranium — called "yellowcake" — in exchange for drones and surface-to-air missiles, according to Iran International.

Yellowcake, so called because of its yellowish hue, is a concentrated form of uranium oxide produced from uranium ore, according to the June 1 report.

Africa Intelligence first reported in late April that covert negotiations between Iran and Niger were afoot as early as August 2023. French newspaper Le Monde soon after reported that the uranium is produced in mines located in Arlit, Niger, belonging to French fuel company Orano since 1971. Uranium is Niger's most important export, according to Le Monde.

Former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Army Radio last week that Iran is planning a nuclear Holocaust for the Jewish state "in the next two years," The Jerusalem Post reported.

"We are in the midst of an Iranian extermination program," Lieberman said. "Israel will be attacked to destroy it from several fronts with tens of thousands of missiles at the same time. They are planning a holocaust for us in the next two years."

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in late April that Iran was "weeks rather than months" away from possessing enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb. The IAEA rebuked Iran last week for refusing to cooperate with agency inspectors.

Iran found a willing partner in former Presidential Guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who named himself leader of a new military junta, called the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), in Niger in July 2023 after a coup to supplant and imprison President Mohamed Bazoum.

As part of the deal, Iran also agreed to provide large capacity generators to Niger to help with the country's energy deficit, according to Iran International.

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