Russian construction of Iran nuclear plant in 'crisis' - AFP

[Eugene]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Russian construction of Iran nuclear plant in 'crisis'

by Stephen Boykewich
1 hour, 43 minutes ago

MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian and Iranian officials held talks on
Wednesday aimed at salvaging a long-delayed project to build
Iran's first nuclear power plant from a "crisis," Russia's state
nuclear contractor said.

Disputes over payment for the Bushehr plant, which Tehran hopes
will be the crown jewel of a civilian nuclear power program, have
led to increasing signs that Moscow is putting the brakes on the
project.

"We are now in a crisis situation, and the current stage of talks
is aimed at finding a way out of it," Irina Yesipova, spokeswoman
for state nuclear power plant builder Atomstroiexport, told AFP.

Yesipova said it was "quite likely" the plant would not be
operational until late 2008 because of underpayment by Iran,
adding: "It is obvious that Iran has broken the trust of our
subcontractors" by missing payments.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070725/wl_mideast_afp/russiairanenergynuclear_070725121052

---

Source: RIA Novosti

Russia puts off Bushehr NPP launch until fall 2008 -1

11:35 | 25/ 07/ 2007

-snip-

MOSCOW, July 25 (RIA Novosti) - The Bushehr nuclear power plant
in Iran cannot be completed by the fall of 2007 as suggested by
Iranian authorities and will only be commissioned a year later, a
Russian subcontractor said.

-snip-

"Today we can say with all certainty that it would be unrealistic to
put Bushehr into operation this fall," Ivan Istomin, the head of the
Energoprogress company, said dismissing a statement made earlier
this month by Iran's Mahmoud Jafari, co-chairing the project, that
the plant could be ready in three or four months.

-snip-

Istomin said his company could not assemble the key operating
equipment for the plant due to the failure by third countries to
supply the necessary components, and cited lack of Iran's funding
as one of the reasons. "Suppliers no longer have confidence in the
Bushehr project," he said.

-snip-

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070725/69617615.html

[bananas]

1. They'll still have uranium mines - and centrifuges to enrich it

so even if they don't have a reactor, they'll still be able to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Or sell enriched uranium to others.