RUSSIA will load fuel into Iran’s first nuclear power plant next week despite US demands to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear energy until the country proves that it’s not pursuing a weapons capacity, officials said yesterday.

Iran will launch its first nuclear power plant next week, Russia’s nuclear agency announced today.

Russia has made its first shipment of nuclear fuel to Iran’s Bushehr plant, which is at the centre of international tensions over Tehran’s nuclear programme, the foreign ministry said today.

Iran today announced plans to build two more nuclear power plants despite international pressures to curb its controversial nuclear programme.

The presidents of Russia and China today called on Iran to fulfil the UN Security Council’s resolutions over its disputed nuclear programme.

Iran today said it had earmarked £700m (€1bn) for construction of nuclear power plants amid international pressure to abandon its nuclear programme, state television reported.

Iran has increased the brinkmanship over its disputed nuclear programme, abruptly postponing talks with Moscow on a plan to enrich Tehran’s uranium on Russian territory to allay fears it is building an atomic weapon.

The head of Iran’s nuclear programme reiterated today that his country wouldn’t drop its uranium enrichment programme and said Tehran would welcome other nations to join its talks with European negotiators.

Iran led international media on a tour of its first nuclear power plant today, an invitation that followed US accusations that it is designed for weapons technology, not energy production.