THE White House has offered a guarded response to the Russian-built reactor at Iran's first nuclear power plant.
The US says that while it sees no "proliferation risk" the facility "should not be confused with the world's fundamental concerns with Iran's overall nuclear intentions".
The Russian involvement in the reactor, intended for civilian purposes, "underscores that Iran does not need an indigenous enrichment capability if its intentions are purely peaceful", US State Department spokesman Darby Holladay said yesterday.
Iran started loading fuel into its Russian-built first nuclear power plant over the weekend, a day after officials there declared victory for the country's nuclear program.
"With the launch of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, our country will be among the few states in the world with complete control and in full command of their nuclear fuel cycle," said Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's top nuclear negotiator.
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The plant was built in 1974 before the Islamic revolution that toppled the shah. The project was largely abandoned in 1979 but was revived in 1995 after Iran signed a $US1 billion contract with Russia to help make the plant operational. Since then, international concern and suspicions that Iran might be pursuing nuclear weapons delayed the project. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes and fuelling the plant is not banned under the UN sanctions against Iran.
The Obama administration, which has previously been critical of Moscow's role in Bushehr, has largely voiced support for the plant launch
"We recognise that the Bushehr reactor is designed to provide civilian nuclear power and do not view it as a proliferation risk," Mr Holladay said.
The reactor was "under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards and Russia is providing the needed fuel and taking back the spent nuclear fuel, which would be the principal source of proliferation concerns."
However, a White House official stressed that US views on the Bushehr reactor "should not be confused with the world's fundamental concerns with Iran's overall nuclear intentions, particularly its pursuit of uranium enrichment".
Russia's supply of fuel to Iran is the "model" that Washington and its P5-plus-one partners - permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the US, plus Germany - have endorsed, Mr Holladay said. But he added: "It is important to remember that the IAEA's access to Bushehr is separate from and should not be confused with Iran's broader obligations to the IAEA on this score, as the IAEA has consistently reported Iran remains in serious violation of its obligations."
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the country's first domestically built long-range unmanned bomber yesterday. Dubbed the Karrar or striker, the plane was inaugurated on the national day for the country's defence industry.
Coppied by http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/us-backs-iranian-nuclear-plant/story-e6frg6so-1225908571115
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