Washington, May 31: The United States has flatly rejected a reported Russian offer for it to join in the construction of a controversial nuclear power station in Iran that US officials believe is a subterfuge for a covert atomic weapons program. The State Department said "no country" should be assisting Iran with any part of its nuclear program until the Islamic republic deals with the US allegations and allows more intense international inspections of its facilities.
"Iran uses its civil nuclear program, including the light-water nuclear reactor at Bushehr, as a pretext that allows it to pursue sensitive nuclear technology," said Lynn Cassel, a department spokeswoman yesterday. She referred specifically to the project Russia is helping Iran to build that has been the crux of Washington's complaints to Moscow and one of the main foci of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors who are to report on Tehran's program in June.
"Until Iran has fully satisfied the IAEA examination and fully addressed the international community's concerns and questions, including full implementation of the IAEA additional protocol for strengthened safeguards, no country should be engaging in nuclear cooperation with Iran," Cassel said. Earlier yesterday, Russia's Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumantsyev said Moscow had invited Washington on several occasions to help it in building the Bushehr reactor to ensure it is for peaceful energy-related purposes only. Bureau Report