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Russia nuclear delay angers Iran | Russia nuclear delay angers Iran |
(30 minutes later) | |
Iran has fiercely criticised Russia for a delay in shipments of nuclear fuel which will put back the launch of Iran's first nuclear power station. | Iran has fiercely criticised Russia for a delay in shipments of nuclear fuel which will put back the launch of Iran's first nuclear power station. |
Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said the delay was "deplorable". | Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said the delay was "deplorable". |
The Russian firm building the plant in the city of Bushehr has blamed the hold-up on a lack of payment. Tehran denies having held back payment. | |
Iran is under pressure over its nuclear programme, after failing to meet a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment. | Iran is under pressure over its nuclear programme, after failing to meet a UN deadline to halt uranium enrichment. |
Western nations believe Tehran is hoping to develop a nuclear arsenal, but Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes. | |
'No guarantee' | |
Russian state-owned firm Atomstroiexport announced on Monday that a shipment of nuclear fuel would not be delivered as scheduled in March because of delays in payment by Iran. | |
The company also said the launch of the reactor, due in September, would be put back two months to November because of the dispute over financing. | |
The fuel in question amounts to approximately 100 tonnes of partially enriched uranium. | |
Mr Larijani said the delay underlined Iran's need to produce its own nuclear fuel, Iran's official news agency reports. | |
"Russia has to fulfil its promises on time," he said. | |
"This [situation] shows that there is no proper guarantee on the supply of nuclear fuel and that Iran's insistence and demands in this respect are entirely proper." | |
Iran's atomic agency denies Russia's claim that it is behind on payments, saying it has met all its financial obligations. It has offered to publish bank documents to prove its point. | |
Moscow last year backed limited UN sanctions on Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment after objections to the Bushehr deal were dropped. | |
World powers are now considering more punitive sanctions against Iran after it defied a deadline to halt enrichment work. |
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