Story highlights The U.S. will spend $8.6 million for the 32 metric tons of heavy water

Heavy water is a key component of nuclear reactors

Washington (CNN) The U.S. will purchase from Iran 32 metric tons of heavy water, a key component of nuclear reactors, according to a senior administration official.

The official told CNN the goal of the transaction is to get the heavy water out of Iran in the same way the Iran nuclear deal compelled Iran to ship its supply of enriched uranium to Russia.

Reducing its stockpile of nuclear materials like enriched uranium and heavy water is a key component of the Iran nuclear deal.

"The importance of heavy water to a nuclear proliferator is that it provides one more route to produce plutonium for use in (nuclear) weapons," the Federation of American Scientists said.

The U.S. will spend $8.6 million for the heavy water, with the U.S. official saying the arrangement will likely be revenue-neutral since the Department of Energy will resell the heavy water to commercial and lab facilities in the U.S., including the Oak Ridge National Lab.

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