Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    TEHRAN, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- The eighth and last nuclear fuel shipment from Russia arrived in Iran Monday morning, completing Russia's promised nuclear fuel delivery for Iran's first nuclear power plant, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    IRNA quoted Iran Atomic Energy Production and Development Company as saying that the last shipment has been forwarded to Bushehr nuclear power plant which is being built at the Gulf port city of Bushehr.

    Iran has received a total of 82 tons of fuel for primary stage of commissioning the Bushehr nuclear power plant, along with auxiliary equipment from Russia, the Iranian company said.

    Located in southwestern Iran, Bushehr plant is the country's first nuclear power station, but the start of the plant has been long delayed due to the two side's disputes over the construction payment.

    The two sides also gave different schedules on the start of operation of Bushehr plant.

    Iran has said it would put Bushehr power plant into operation with its half capacity in the summer of 2008, but the Russian contractor Atomostroiexport said last December that it would take at least one year to start the operation.

    The United States and some of its allies have worried Iran may use power plants as a civilian cover to develop atomic weapons and have called on Russia to suspend the Bushehr project.

    Russian Foreign Ministry, however, has promised that those fuel will be under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), saying "all fuel that will be delivered will be under control and guarantees of the IAEA for the whole time it stays on Iranian territory."