Iran on Tuesday denied a press report on Russia having withheld nuclear fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant in south Iran unless Iran suspended its uranium enrichment programmes in line with United Nations Security Council demands, the FARS news agency reports.

The New York Times had reported that the ultimatum was delivered in Moscow last week by Russian National Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov to Iran’s deputy chief nuclear negotiator Ali Hosseini-Tash,

“Ivanov has never made such remarks and I categorically deny the newspaper report,” Hosseini-Tash told the Fars news agency.

“Ivanov and the Russian delegation just tried to persuade Iranian side in the meeting that the Bushehr project has no connection whatsoever with to the nuclear dispute,” the Iranian official added.

Despite the denial the two sides are involved in a serious crisis after Russian contractor Atomstroiexport refused to continue work on the plant in the Gulf island Bushehr due to financial disputes.

While denying any delay of payments, Iran’s Atomic Organization warned Russia in an official statement last week that no further delays in completing the nuclear power plant in southern Iran would be accepted.

Several political circles in Tehran consider it as an open secret that, in line with US policies, Russia is using the Bushehr plant to push Iran into accepting international demands to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.

ISNA news agency reported on Tuesday that regardless of the nature of the dispute, fact is that Russia has once again failed to keep the timetable and deliver the nuclear fuel for Bushehr as scheduled on the last day of the Iranian year, March 20.

The nuclear power plant was initially supposed to be finished in July 1999 but the Russians have delayed the completion on various pretexts for five times.

The most recent agreement between the two sides signed last September in Moscow envisioned supply of nuclear fuel in March 2007, physical launch of the plant in September and energy launch in November of the same year.

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