Q+A: Russia delays Iran's Bushehr nuclear station

> For a full story, please click on Following are details about the plant and its significance: THE PLANT The Bushehr plant is on the Gulf coast in southwest Iran. It is Iran's first nuclear power plant. Russia agreed in 1995 to build the plant on the site of an earlier project begun in the 1970s by German firm Siemens. The project which was disrupted by Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The details of the contract are state secrets in Russia but its value is said to be about $1 billion. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Amid international efforts to get Tehran to allay fears about its nuclear program, diplomats say Russia is using Bushehr as a lever with the Islamic Republic. The United States and some European Union countries suspect Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb under cover of its civilian nuclear program. Iran, the world's fourth-largest crude oil producer, rejects such allegations and says its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity. Russia, credited with having clout in Tehran because of arms deals and the Bushehr plant, has so far refused to publicly support the threat of additional sanctions against Iran. On Sunday President Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow was not completely happy about the pace of dialogue between Tehran and the international community. Medvedev's comments came after Iran failed to give a clear answer on whether it will support a U.N.-brokered deal to send the bulk of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for further processing. The proposal was aimed at reducing international fears about Tehran's ability to build a nuclear weapon and U.S. President Barack Obama said on Sunday that time was running out for diplomacy to resolve the crisis. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who many diplomats say takes the lead on formulating Russia's policy toward Iran, has warned the international community against intimidating and said talk of sanctions is premature.  Continued...