A stoush is unfolding in international energy relations, with reports that Zimbabwe has undertaken a secret deal to sell uranium to Iran being strongly denied by Zimbawean officials.

Reports stem from a piece published the The Times late last week, saying a top-ranking government official had revealed Zimbabwe’s nefarious nuclear dealings.

Mr Gift Chimanikire, the Zimbabwean Deputy Mining Minister, allegedly told reporters that a Chinese company has been surveying yellow-cake deposits in the far northeast of the country and the government has been actively looking for buyers, meanwhile Iran’s Foreign and Co-operative Ministers travelled to Zimbabwe alongside engineers to assess uranium deposits.

If the deal does exist it would be in contravention of protocols imposed by the traditional controllers of uranium and nuclear energy. Both Iran and Zimbabwe would be going against sanctions imposed due to the countrys’ respective human rights records and behaviour of state-owned mining groups.

There has been backlash from both sides accused in the conspiracy, with reports in Zimbabwean media saying local police have launched a manhunt for the journalists responsible for breaking the news.

In a domestic interview the Secretary for Mines and Mining Development, Mr Prince Mupazviriho said: “That is a blatant lie. Whoever is saying that is being malicious. We have never issued any licence to any Iranian company. We do not have any uranium mine at the moment.”

The man originally quoted in the Times story has since change his tack, now saying: “I wouldn’t have said that [about the alleged uranium deal]... no licence has been issued. I never said such a silly thing. We are exploring and not mining. He thought of selling his paper by being untruthful. I tried to call him after hearing about the article, but his phone is not reachable.”

“It is a speculative and dangerous story. We have nothing to export because we have not mined. He just showed the typical mentality bent on saying negative things about Zimbabwe,” Mr Chimanikire said.

The article that initially made the allegations is available online.