More Russian nuclear fuel delivered to Iran Tehran (AFP) Jan 24, 2008 Russia delivered a sixth consignment of fuel for Iran's first nuclear power plant in the Gulf port of Bushehr on Thursday which makes it around 80 percent of the consignment, the official IRNA news agency reported. "The sixth load of nuclear fuel arrived at the Bushehr plant on Thursday morning," said a statement from the Organisation for Production and Development of Nuclear Energy quoted by the news agency. The delivery brings the nuclear fuel supplied by Russia so far to 66 tonnes or around 80 percent of the total order of 82 tonnes, IRNA said. Previous deliveries were made on December 17 and 28, and January 18, 20 and 22. Two more consignments are due by February according to a timetable agreed by the two sides. Late last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the Bushehr reactor would be working at 50 percent capacity by mid-2008. But the Russian constructors insist the 1,000-megawatt plant will not go on line until the end of the year. After delivery of the first shipment of fuel, Russia said Iran no longer needed to pursue its own uranium enrichment, a message repeated by US President George W. Bush. Tehran has so far defied successive UN Security Council ultimatums to suspend enrichment prompting two sets of UN sanctions. The six major powers, the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany drew up a new text on Tuesday to put before the council. The contents of the text agreed by the foreign ministers of the so called 5+1 were not released. But a senior US official said the new draft "increases the severity of the sanctions already in place and will also introduce new elements." Iran on Wednesday described as illegal and ineffective the threat of new UN sanctions and said it would clear up any remaining questions about its nuclear programme in talks with the UN watchdog. The Western powers fear that Iran's nuclear programme is a cover for a drive to develop a bomb, a charge Tehran strongly denies. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Iran brushes off new sanctions threat Tehran (AFP) Jan 23, 2008 Iran described as illegal and ineffective on Wednesday the threat of new UN sanctions and said it would clear up any remaining questions about its nuclear programme in talks with the UN watchdog. |
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