Iran receives first enriched uranium shipment from Russia

Tehran, NU Online
Iran received the first shipment of nuclear fuel from Russia on Monday, paving the way for the startup of its reactor in 2008. U.S. President George W. Bush welcomed the deal, saying Iran now does not need to enrich uranium, but maintained the country was still a “danger to peace.”
      
The Russia Foreign Ministry also called on Iran to halt uranium enrichment, saying the delivery means Tehran has “no objective need” for its own program in the medium term.<>

However, Iran insisted it will continue with its enrichment program — part of an effort Tehran claims is focused on generating electricity but Washington fears could lead to weapons development.
      
The U.S. initially opposed Russian participation in building the Bushehr reactor and supplying it with fuel but reversed its position about a year ago to obtain Moscow’s support for the first set of U.N. sanctions against Iran.
      
Washington was also influenced by Iran’s agreement to return spent fuel from the reactor to Russia to ensure it doesn’t extract plutonium to make atomic bombs.
      
The Iranians trumpeted Russia’s decision to deliver fuel Monday as a victory for Iran, with Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh calling it “a message for the world” on state television.
      
However, Aghazadeh said Iran would continue its enrichment activities at a facility in the central city of Natanz to provide fuel for another nuclear reactor it plans in southwestern Iran.
      
“We are currently constructing a 360-megawatt nuclear power plant in Darkhovin. Nuclear fuel needed for this plant has to be supplied from Natanz,” he was quoted by The Associated Press as saying. (dar)