Hillary urges Russia to delay Iran’s nuclear plant

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov shake hands before their talks in Moscow on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has urged Russia to delay launching Iran’s nuclear plant until Tehran proves that it’s not pursuing atomic weapons.

Ms. Clinton made the statement on Thursday when asked about Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s statement that Iran’s first nuclear reactor is set to be launched this summer.

Ms. Clinton said Iran is entitled to civil atomic energy, but added that it would be premature to go forward with any nuclear project when Tehran has yet to prove the peaceful nature of its programme.

The U.S. and other nations are concerned that Iran has been trying to secretly develop nuclear weapons.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded that Russia still intends to launch the plant in the Iranian port city of Bushehr. Both spoke after their talks in Moscow.