Iran receives second shipment of nuclear fuel

Russia has transferred a second shipment of nuclear fuel to the Iranian nuclear reactor at Bushehr, Ahmad Fayazbakhsh, vice president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) announced Friday.

According to Fayazbakhsh, the current shipment contains the same amount of fuel as the first one, delivered on the 17th of December. In the coming months, Russia is expected to hand over 82 tons of Nuclear fuel to the Iranians for powering the reactor. "The second shipment of nuclear fuel arrived in Bushehr on schedule," Fayazbakhsh said.

Russian government sources report that the last shipment of fuel to Bushehr will be delivered this February, which will allow the Iranians to complete construction of the nuclear facility by August, six months later.

Russian government sources report that the last shipment of fuel to Bushehr will be delivered this February, which will allow the Iranians to complete construction of the nuclear facility by August, six months later.

Upon completion of the first delivery, the Kremlin announced that Tehran had given Russia a written commitment not to use the fuel for purposes other than the production of atomic energy. 

Russian government sources report that the last shipment of fuel to Bushehr will be delivered this February, which will allow the Iranians to complete construction of the nuclear facility by August, six months later.

Upon completion of the first delivery, the Kremlin announced that Tehran had given Russia a written commitment not to use the fuel for purposes other than the production of atomic energy.  

According to the Russian foreign ministry, the transfer of nuclear fuel "created a new situation" in which Tehran is now able to cease enriching uranium on its own, as Russia fulfills its nuclear fuel requirements.

Regardless, shortly after the Russian announcement, Tehran made it clear that it plans to continue its enrichment program, despite the shipments from Russia.

"No one is talking about ceasing enrichment," said an anonymous Iranian government source. When asked if Iran would suspend its enrichment activities under certain conditions, the source responded: "no, under no circumstances."

The nuclear plant in Bushehr is a 1000 megawatt light-water reactor, which the Iranians claim is designed for supplying electricity. This is a separate project from the uranium enrichment, which is concentrated in Natanz and Isfahan.

The West fears that the Iranian uranium enrichment program is designed to attain a level of enrichment needed to produce fissile material for a nuclear bomb and consequently believes that Iran will make ill use of the fuel Russia provides.