|
|
|
|
|
|
Russia delivers first nuclear fuel to Iran Christian
Lowe Russia announced on Monday it had delivered the first shipment of nuclear
fuel to Iran's Bushehr atomic power station, a step Western powers worried
by Tehran's nuclear ambitions had urged Moscow not to take. But a senior Iranian official dismissed this, saying the country would not under any circumstances halt its enrichment program -- the source of friction with foreign powers worried it could be used for military purposes. Russia, contracted by Iran to build its first ever nuclear power station at Bushehr, has been delaying delivery of the fuel for months after the project was drawn into the international row over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The first batch of fuel -- uranium 235 stored in modules of several fuel rods -- is now being stored at Bushehr in southern Iran and the rest will be delivered within the next two months. After that, the plant can start operating within 6 months. "On December 16 the delivery of fuel began from Russia to the Iranian atomic power station in Bushehr," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. The United States and allies, which suspect Iran of harboring ambitions to acquire a nuclear weapon, had called on Moscow not to dispatch the fuel. Iran denies it is seeking a nuclear weapon. ASSURANCES Russia says Bushehr is being built under supervision of the United Nation's nuclear watchdog, ruling out any military use for the fuel or technology. It said it had been given new guarantees on this before sending the fuel.
|
||||
