Russia Says Bushehr Nuclear Plant Expected to Operate by Next August

Sergey Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom, said the Iranian Bushehr nuclear power plant, being built by Russia, is expected to become operational by August next year, with construction progressing smoothly.

Kiriyenko stated that the Bushehr plant "would not threaten the nuclear non-proliferation regime in any way," and that sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program are also "unrelated to the Bushehr plant." Construction of the Bushehr reactor began 15 years ago, and once completed, it will become Iran's first nuclear power plant.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed surprise at the news and criticized Russia's plans to push forward with the plant's launch, calling the arrangement "premature."

Currently, discussions on sanctions surrounding Iran's nuclear program continue. Representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China, and Russia have resumed consultations at the United Nations (UN) on possible sanctions measures. Russia and China, however, have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of new sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry.