Russia concerned about Iran's uranium enrichment

The reactor building at the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, 1200 Kms south of Tehran, where Iran has began unloading fuel into the reactor core for the nuclear power plant on October 26, 2010, a move which brings the facility closer to generating electricity after decades of delay. / MAJID ASGARIPOUR/AFP/Getty Images

MOSCOW - Russia expressed regret and concern Tuesday about Iran's launch of an underground uranium enrichment facility, but urged all parties involved in the nuclear standoff with Tehran to avoid hasty moves.

The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement mixed cautious criticism of Iran, an important trading partner, with a call for more talks — a fine line Moscow has walked in the past.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the launch of the facility near Iran's holy city of Qom demonstrated that Tehran was continuing to ignore international concerns about its nuclear program. It added, however, that Iran had notified the International Atomic Energy Agency in due time of the launch of the bunker facility.

"We hope that Tehran will listen to our opinion about the need for a further close cooperation with the agency and a quick start of serious six-way talks on the Iranian nuclear program without any preconditions," it said.

The ministry said Russia was urging all parties involved in the Iranian nuclear standoff to avoid "ill-considered and abrupt moves," which could undermine prospects for talks with Iran, an important trading partner.

"We confirm that all problems linked with the Iranian nuclear program must be solved exclusively through talks and dialogue based on mutual respect, gradual movement and reciprocity," it said, adding that Russia is ready to help the negotiations.

Russia had treaded a similar path over recent years, alternating criticism of Iran's intransigence with praise for some of its moves and readiness to continue the dialogue. Iran has insisted that its uranium enrichment program is aimed at civilian power generation and research, but Western nations suspect it of serving as a cover for a nuclear weapons bid.

Moscow backed some of the previous U.N. sanctions against Iran, but in recent months has firmly rejected imposing any new sanctions and called for dialogue.

Russia built Iran's first nuclear power plant in the southern port of Bushehr, which began producing electricity in September. Russia's nuclear chief said last November that Iran would like more Russian-built reactors.

Britain's Middle East minister Alistair Burt on Tuesday called on nations opposed to Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons to increase pressure against Tehran.

"A few weeks ago the British government imposed tough new financial restrictions against Iran. These new sanctions make it illegal for any financial institution in the U.K. to have any dealings with any institution in Iran, including the Central Bank of Iran," Burt said, in a speech to the Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, Israel.

"They are the toughest of their kind. And we will build on them, getting others to follow suit. We are working with the EU on sanctions against Iranian oil," he said.

President Barack Obama approved new sanctions against Iran a week ago, targeting the central bank and its ability to sell petroleum abroad. The U.S. has delayed implementing the sanctions for at least six months, worried about sending the price of oil higher at a time when the global economy is struggling.

Iran responded to the Western pressure with threats and military posturing. A senior commander of the Revolutionary Guard force was recently quoted as saying Tehran's leadership has decided to order the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic oil route, if the country's petroleum exports are blocked.

[karek40]

Fact, we are going to talk until they demonstrate they have the atomic bomb.

[lilbear925]

Russia initially helped Iran get equipment to begin their nuclear program, not actually believing the Iranians could pull it off. Of course, with information bought from Pakistan, Iran is now on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon and the Russians are just now realizing what has happened. They are within reach of Iran's missiles, so they are just now getting nervous.

[vengenceofgod100]

Russia and China and N.Korea and Syria have been helping Iran for years and years supplying them with the know how and technology for a bomb, and Iran threatens the world with a war on Israel. But still these godless nations still continue to help a despot who is a crazy religious madman named Ahmadinejad get the god he really believes in the nuclear bomb to start the war to end all wars. These countries are mad and insane to help Iran but still they do, and what is the end of it all?

[formerlyluvnut]

Russia, even China, are the very reasons we the USA don't need to be concerned with it or anything else in that part of the world. They can, could and would handle it.

[Samlv]

China and Russia are police states. The latter is a failed and less effective one, of course, but in neither case do they care about their own people, much less someone else's.

Russia will never actually do anything to Iran; they're a great customer for Russia.

As for China, they're not interested in anything beyond their own stability through use of capitalism to steal. Remember, they caused a famine in their own country which killed millions. So, no help there.