Russian offer on Iranian nuclear plant

Russia yesterday tried a startlingly new manoeuvre in its long publicity battle to persuade the West - notably the United States and Israel - that it is not helping Iran to build a nuclear bomb. Its Atomic Energy minister, Viktor Mikhailov, said Moscow was willing to allow the US jointly to monitor a nuclear power plant which, despite repeated protests from Washington, it is building for the Iranians at Bushehr on the Persian Gulf.

The US has long expressed fears that the plant will allow the Iranians to produce enriched uranium, which could be used in nuclear warheads. Moscow and Iran insist that the plant is to produce electric power for civilian purposes.

Further Western allegations that the two countries were locked in an unhealthy arms partnership arose this month when Israel suspended negotiations over a gas contract with Moscow after reports, apparently inspired by Israeli intelligence, that Russian defence enterprises were helping Tehran to develop ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The claims were dismissed by the Russian prime minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin, as "absurd".

Yesterday, Mr Mikhailov told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that he had suggested to the US Energy Secretary, Frederico Pena, that there should be a joint system for controlling the plant "to eliminate any doubt that there could be anything else happening there other than the changing of fuel and the use of the reactors".

He said the US had agreed to discuss the idea, which was raised under the auspices of the US-Russia commission co-chaired by vice-president Al Gore and Mr Chernomyrdin, who will today meet in Moscow for their ninth round of talks.

Last night Iran's response was unclear. The question of Russia's relations with Iran is becoming more acute as the US seeks to increase its toe- hold in the oil-rich Caspian Sea.