Russia Gives Iran Ultimatum on Enrichment
NY Times: PARIS, March 19 — Russia has informed Iran that it will withhold nuclear fuel for Iran’s nearly completed Bushehr power plant unless Iran suspends its uranium enrichment as demanded by the United Nations Security Council, European, American and Iranian officials say.
The ultimatum was delivered in Moscow last week by Igor S. Ivanov, the secretary of the Russian National Security Council, to Ali Hosseini Tash, Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a confidential diplomatic exchange between two governments was involved.
For years, President Bush has been pressing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to cut off help to Iran on the nuclear power plant that Russia is building at Bushehr, in southern Iran. But Mr. Putin has resisted. The project is Tehran’s first serious effort to produce nuclear energy and has been very profitable for Russia...There's more
ABF, for the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran
2 comments:
It's very interesting indeed that this story has broken at about the same time that Iran appears to have defaulted on payment for Russia's nuclear assistance.
Looks like a nasty billing dispute to me, and Russia has found a way to turn the screws on Iran.
This is some Russian payback for Iranian involvement in Chechnya: by not following the various agreements made between the Kremlin and Tehran, and still continuing to infiltrate into the Chechen region, Russia has pretty much had it with Iranian 'help'. Plus Gazprom took one look at the oil infrastructure in Iran and wanted nothing to do with it... that has got to say something as Gazprom is *used* to dealing with highly neglected and run-down petro infrastructure.
More than just a billing dispute, it is islamic expansionistic outlook trumping common business sense. I find that sort of thing lacking in the regime in Iran. Common sense of any sort. And I do not like the consequences of that for the people of Iran who are the primary victims of the regime there.
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