Iran has started tests on its Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant as part of preparations for its launch, an official said today.
The Iranian official said the visiting head of Russia's state nuclear company, Sergei Kiriyenko, and his Iranian counterpart Gholamreza Aghazadeh were at the plant to inspect work that included injecting "virtual" fuel into rods.
"This process started 10 days ago. Lead is used instead of nuclear fuel," he told reporters at the site.
The West, which suspects Tehran of seeking to produce its own nuclear bomb, has been critical of Russia's involvement in building Bushehr in southwestern Iran. Russia says it is purely civilian and cannot be used for any weapons programme.
Mr Kiriyenko said on February 5th that Russia aimed to start up a nuclear reactor at Bushehr, located on Iran's Gulf coast, by the end of the year.
The launch of Bushehr has been delayed frequently. Russia last year completed delivery of nuclear fuel to the station under a contract estimated to be worth about $1 billion.
The Iranian spokesman said that if the tests were successful fuel rods with enriched uranium would be used instead of lead, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Enriched uranium can be used as fuel for power plants and also provide material for bombs if refined much further.
Analysts say Iran could become a central issue in relations between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and new US President Barack Obama, who has said that the United States was prepared to talk to Tehran.
They say Russia has used Bushehr as a lever in relations with Tehran, which is suspected by the United States and some European countries of seeking to build nuclear weapons.
Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude producer, rejects such allegations and says its nuclear programme is aimed at generating electricity so that it can export more oil and gas.
Russia started deliveries of nuclear fuel for the plant in late 2007, a step both Washington and Moscow said removed any need for Iran to have its own uranium enrichment programme. Moscow says Iran will return all spent fuel rods to Russia.
Reuters