Russia reportedly is refusing to supply an Iranian
plant with nuclear fuel until Iran complies with international demands for
nuclear transparency. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Igor Ivanov, secretary of the Russian National Security Council, met Ali Hosseini Tash,
Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator, in Moscow last week and told him Iran
must meet transparency levels set in December by the U.N. Security Council if it
hopes to complete its reactor at Bushehr, in southern Iran.
Iran and Russia
insist that Bushehr is strictly a civilian project, but the Bush administration
has pressed Russia to cut off Iran until it complies with international demands
for nuclear transparency. U.N. inspectors say Iran is probably building a
nuclear weapons program; Iran insists its program is peaceful.
