Last update - 00:00 28/07/2007
Russian company confirms delay in construction of Iranian reactor
By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent
A Russian company building a nuclear reactor for Iran at Bushar told Russian news agencies over the weekend the facility will not be completed before late 2008, confirming speculation that construction has come under difficulties
A company spokesperson insisted that construction of the reactor and transferal of low-grade enriched uranium was being held up because Iran had fallen behind in its payments.
Experts suspect, however, that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a decision not to complete construction of the one billion dollar Bushar reactor because of fears Tehran intends to use the facility to build an atomic bomb.