Officials: Russia Ups Pressure on Iran ..(may not deliver fuel to Russian nuclear reactor)

AOL/ AP ^ | 2007-08-07 | George Jahn

[IrishMike]

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Moscow has warned Iran that it will not deliver fuel to a nearly completed Russian-built nuclear reactor unless Tehran lifts the veil of secrecy on suspicious past atomic activities, a European diplomat said Tuesday.

Separately, a U.S. official told The Associated Press that the Russians are not meeting other commitments that would allow the Iranians to activate the Bushehr nuclear reactor, and suggested the delays were an attempt to pressure Tehran into showing more compliance with U.N. Security Council demands. Both men demanded anonymity in exchange for speaking to the AP because their information was confidential.

The increased Russian pressure comes at a time Iran already appears to be ready to compromise on a key international request - that it lift its shroud of secrecy over past activities that heightened suspicions it might be looking to develop a nuclear arms program.

Those fears led to Security Council demands that Iran suspend its uranium enrichment program - and later to U.N. to sanctions over Tehran's refusal to mothball the program, which can be used both to generate power and to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads.

With a third set of sanctions looming, Iran last month told the International Atomic Energy Agency - the U.N. nuclear watchdog that is investigating Iran - that if would answer questions outstanding for years about past experiments and activities that could be linked to a weapons program.

[in hoc signo vinces]

Russia knows...they’re a target too...

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Much ado, signifying nothing.

[JohnA]

I'm sure Conoco-Phillips and Boeing, among others, appreciate posts like this one.......NOT.

Please try to be more realistic and less fanciful, whatever your beef with the Russian Federation.

[in hoc signo vinces]

Really? How about you post something that makes sense when posting?

My point is...Russia, hopefully, realizes that a nuke capable Iran may also “not” be in the best interests for their national security.

Thanks.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Right. The whole crisis is entirely of Russia’s making. Russia is the source of the Iranian nuclear threat in the first place.

[JohnA]

Please accept my apology. I mistook your meaning. Now I understand it. Sorry.

[JohnA]

Actually, Germany started the plant. Russian interests undertook to complete it. Apparently, the European refinery industry is lined up to begin construction in Iran as soon as this thing winds down.