Russia reportedly exits Iran nuke site

Russia is pulling out its experts from the Iranian nuclear reactor site they were helping build, US and European government representatives said Tuesday.

The move reflected a growing rift between Iran and Russia that could lead to harsher UN sanctions on the Islamic republic for its refusal to stop uranium enrichment.

The representatives — a European diplomat and a US official — said a large number of Russian technicians, engineers and other specialists have returned to Moscow within the last week, at about the same time senior Russian and Iranian officials tried unsuccessfully to resolve financial differences over the Bushehr nuclear reactor.

'No Russian ultimatum'

Meanwhile, Russia denied Tuesday that it has threatened to withhold nuclear fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant if Tehran does not suspend uranium enrichment as demanded by the Security Council.

"I can tell you that the report (by The New York Times) is not accurate, that there has been no Russian ultimatum to Iran of any kind," Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin told reporters.

"We continue to regard the Bushehr project as something that is outside the scope of (the UN sanctions resolutions)," he said.