MOSCOW, March 13 (UPI) -- Russia has delayed completion of a nuclear plant in Iran due to a monetary dispute between the countries.
Russian officials said the country will not deliver nuclear fuel to Iran this month and the scheduled September completion of the plant will not go ahead as scheduled, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The disagreement stems from Russia's insistence that Iran pay $25 million per month toward the $1 billion cost of the plant, which was being constructed in the southern city of Bushehr. Russia claims the payments have not been made but the Iranian government insists all scheduled installments have been paid.
"It will be impossible to launch the reactor in September, and there can be no talk about supplying fuel this month," state-owned Russian contractor Atomstroiexport said in a statement.
"We hope the Russians won't politicize" the delivery of the nuclear fuel, said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, "This should be done within the next two weeks. We expect the Russians to fulfill their commitments."
