Russia and Iran signed a deal to launch the Bushehr reactor in September 2007. The fuel - 168 fuel assemblies - is expected to be shipped about six months earlier - in March 2007.
I think this is the right policy - the work on Bushehr reactor should continue independently of the dispute about Iran's enrichment program. But this policy may be very hard to follow in practice - I'm quite certain that the fuel shipment (and the reactor launch) will be delayed - the temptation to use it as a lever in the negotiations with Iran is just too great. We will see.
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Pavel, I think Bushehr reactor should be launched as per schedule. You cannot prolong a nuclear plant for such a long time! Once the plant is launched, many problems related to controversial enrichment program would be over. I never think Iran could be able to build nuclear bomb out of it. It will be under international watch all time and can only be used for civilian purpose.
Pavel, I have come around to your point of view, even if it is for rather different reasons. Diplomacy has failed to dismantle the Iranian nuclear weapons programme, so there will be war within two years at the most. In such conditions, it is completely irrelevant whether Bushehr is completed or not.
Similarly, not shipping the fuel would not serve any useful purpose now, because Israel and the US do not and will not trust Russia any more than they do Iran. It is in Russia's interest to display its integrity in fulfilling contractual obligations, while the US interest is to let it do just that.