The British newspaper "Independent," in its Persian edition, revealed on Monday serious disagreements between Tehran and Moscow that could impact the course of nuclear negotiations in Vienna, expected to commence their seventh round next week. A Russian source familiar with the matter, who was not identified by the newspaper, stated that "Russians are warning Iran about the non-payment of costs associated with the Bushehr power plant located in the south of the country," adding that "serious disagreements between Tehran and Moscow are affecting the Vienna talks."
**Continuation of the Nuclear Crisis**
Recently, Russian officials have taken strict measures against Iranian officials in several meetings, warning them about not paying the costs of the Bushehr facility, according to the report. The Russian source clarified, "This disagreement could affect the nuclear talks in Vienna,” noting that some in Russia expect Iran to show more flexibility in Vienna, especially since "U.S. President Joe Biden clearly wants to return to the nuclear agreement, and the continuation of the current nuclear crisis has economic consequences for Russia and affects Moscow's relations with Washington."
The source pointed to Moscow's stubbornness in its new stance regarding the conditions of the Syrian civil war and the economic competition between Iran and Russia in that country, as well as the recent meeting between Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
On the other hand, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, stated in an interview with the Iranian "Khaneh Mellat" news agency on Sunday that the delays in the construction and completion of the second and third Bushehr power plants are due to financial problems.
**1000 Megawatts of Nuclear Power**
Salehi added, "To resolve this issue, we will submit proposals to the governmental economic committee, and if approved, the completion work will be facilitated." Salehi explained that the Bushehr power plant currently generates 1000 megawatts of nuclear energy, which is expected to increase to 3000 megawatts upon the completion of power plants 2 and 3, indicating that "the completion of the two plants will take another five years." Regarding the possibility of repaying Russian debts, Salehi stated, "An order has been issued to expedite the repayment of debts amounting to 500 million euros to Russia."
