Loading fuel into Bushehr reactor signifies Russia’s opposition to sanctions

Russia’s move to load fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant showed that Moscow opposes the UN Security Council and western sanctions against Iran, an Iranian top legislator said here on Saturday.

“Transfer of nuclear fuel to the main building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant annulled all enemies’ resolutions, sanction and threats,” Deputy Head of the parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Ebrahimi told FNA on Saturday.

Iran transferred nuclear fuel into its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr in a ceremony attended by senior Iranian and Russian nuclear officials on Saturday.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi and Head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) Sergei Kiriyenko oversaw the process.

The two nuclear officials also held a meeting ahead of fuel injection, and signed three agreements on nuclear power plants cooperation.

Ebrahimi further reminded Russian officials’ visit to Iran, and added, “The Russian officials showed through their presence in Iran today for (overseeing) the transfer of nuclear fuel to the main building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant that they do not recognize Resolution 1929 and sanctions against Iran.”

“Russia would not load fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant if it recognized resolutions and sanctions against Iran,” the lawmaker noted.

Elsewhere, Ebrahimi dismissed western allegations about the operation of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, and underlined that Iran’s move to load fuel into the power plant is legal and is in full compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rules and regulations, reminding that IAEA inspectors are monitoring the operation.

Russia has been building the nuclear facility in Iran since 1994. The start-up of the station, originally scheduled to be completed in 1999, has been delayed on several occasions.

Western corporations began the construction of the Bushehr facility in the 1970s. However, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Western companies reneged on their commitments and pulled out of the project due to political pressure from Washington.

Iran then turned to Russia to complete the project. In 1992, Tehran and Moscow signed a deal to complete the construction of the nuclear power plant.