With Iranian and Russian engineers loading fuel into Iran's first nuclear power plant at Bushehr on Saturday, Israel expressed astonishment at how a country that completely thumbs its nose at the world regarding its nuclear program will be able to enjoy the benefits of nuclear energy.
"It is totally unacceptable that a country that blatantly violates decisions of the United Nations Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency, and ignores its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty charter, will enjoy the fruits of using nuclear energy," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levy said.
"The international community," he added, "must increase pressure on Iran, so that it will obey international decisions, halt its activity in the field of enrichment and construction of heavy water reactors, and will fully reply to the accusations raised against it."
The Foreign Ministry was pointedly making no reference to the Russian involvement in the reactor, an apparent effort not to say anything that could in any way complicate Israel's relations with Moscow.
