Russia readies nuclear fuel bound for Iran

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http://www.reuters.com/article/mapNews/idUSL1616835820071116

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia on Friday gave the clearest indication yet that it was ready to send uranium to fuel Iran's first atomic power station, upping the stakes in a diplomatic crisis surrounding Tehran's nuclear program.

Russia's state-run nuclear fuel producer said inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog would later this month start sealing nuclear fuel bound for the Bushehr plant, a major step to shipping the fuel to the Bushehr plant in Iran.

In a report on Iran issued on Thursday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it had "made arrangements to verify and seal the fresh fuel foreseen (for Bushehr) on November 26, before shipment of the fuel from Russia to Iran".

The inspectors will go to Russia's Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrate Plant, which is preparing the fuel. Plant officials said the inspectors would be working there through November 29.