Iran Warns It May Ignore Nuclear Rules

The reactor building of Iran's nuclear power plant is seen, at Bushehr, Iran, 750 miles (1,245 kilometers) south of the capital Tehran, in this Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, file photo. For Iranians, the fate of their first nuclear reactor is proof why they have to build their own nuclear technology despite U.N. efforts to rein in the program, as the facility is eight years behind schedule and is now, as of March 2007, held up by a bitter dispute with longtime ally Russia.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, file) (Vahid Salemi - AP)

"We ... have agreed to influence Iran by gradually applying proportionate pressure," Lavrov said.

European and U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks said Tuesday that Moscow had bluntly told Tehran it would not ship fuel for the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran until Tehran freezes its uranium enrichment program.

Lavrov denied that.

"It's not the first time that we are seeing such an unscrupulous approach aimed at driving a wedge between us and Iran," he told lawmakers in the lower house of parliament. "There is no link whatsoever between the U.N. resolution ... and the implementation of the Bushehr project."

Russia has said plans to supply fuel for Bushehr this month were called off because of Iranian payment delays that prompted Moscow to indefinitely postpone the reactor's September launch. Russian officials also said that the number of workers at Bushehr had dwindled due to the funding shortage.

Iran angrily denied falling behind in payments and accused Russia of caving in to U.S. pressure to take a tougher line on Tehran.

Iranian state television on Tuesday described Russia as an "unreliable partner," adding: "It is clear that Russia has stopped construction of this plant under pressure and for political reasons."

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Associated Press Writer Vladimir Isachenkov contributed to this report from Moscow.