At the end of August, Iranian presidential spokesman Ali Akbar Javanfekr threatened to turn to "other candidates" to complete the country's long-delayed nuclear power plant at Bushehr if "problems arise again" between Tehran and Moscow over the project. The previous month, European officials related that the Russian government had informed Iran in July that Moscow would refuse to supply nuclear fuel for the Russian-built nuclear reactor until Tehran provides more details about its past nuclear activities to the international community. These reports might indicate that the Russian government has finally decided to suspend cooperation with Iran's nuclear program until Tehran accedes to international pressure and agrees to lease nuclear fuel manufactured in Russia rather than develop its own uranium enrichment technologies. The laws of physics mean that Iranians could use such a capacity to manufacture nuclear bombs as well as nuclear fuel. Nevertheless, the Russian Foreign Ministry declined to confirm that Moscow had given Tehran such an ultimatum. Even if accurate, other explanations could explain why Russian officials might want to suggest to foreign observers a possible shift in Moscow's policies regarding Iran's nuclear program.
Tehran and Moscow: A Parting of Ways?
