Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    TEHRAN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- A second shipment of nuclear fuel to Iran's ongoing Bushehr power plant sent by Russia arrived in Iran on Friday, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    "The second shipment of fuel for our Bushehr power plant arrived in Iran Friday... and the amount of it was equal to the previous consignment," Ahmad Fayazbaksh, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, was quoted as saying.

    The shipment was in line with the schedule agreed with Russia, which would deliver 82 tons of nuclear fuel to Iran in eight consignments in two months, he added.

    The first consignment of nuclear fuel from Russia was delivered to Iran on Dec. 17 after being checked by the experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Russian nuclear specialists.

    The United States and some of its allies have worried Iran may use power plant to develop atomic weapons and have called Russia to suspend the Bushehr project.

    Russian Foreign Ministry, however, has promised that those fuel will be under control of the IAEA, saying "all fuel that will be delivered will be under control and guarantees of the IAEA for the whole time it stays in Iranian territory."

    After Russia started the delivery of fuel to Tehran, U.S. President George W. Bush said it meant there's no need for Iran to develop its own enrichment work.

    However, Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, rejected the notion and said "Natanz enrichment site needs to be expanded" for the progress of Iran's nuclear development.

    Located in southwestern Iran, Bushehr is the country's first nuclear power station, but work at the plant has been long delayed. According to the latest report, the Russian contractor Atomstroy export company has said "the plant's launch cannot be guaranteed before the end of 2008."

    Russia and Iran signed a 1 billion-U.S. dollar contract for the construction of the plant in 1995.