Iran's nuclear plant 'not ready before late 2008'

Iran’s first nuclear power plant, which is being built by Russia, will not come online before late 2008, Russian news reports said today.

“I can say with certainty that the plant won’t be launched before late 2008,” Sergei Shmatko, the head of the Atomstroiexport company building the nuclear plant in the southern port of Bushehr, said on a trip to China, according to the ITAR-Tass, RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies.