Russia, Iran sign nuclear construction deal

Moscow - Russia will build two new nuclear power plant units in Iran under an agreement signed in Moscow on Tuesday between subsidiaries of the two countries' state atomic agencies.

The agreement proceeds a November 24 deadline for a deal at talks between Iran and world powers that would curb Tehran's nuclear programme, which the West says may be aimed at building atomic weapons but Iran says is for peaceful purposes.

Russia, which is involved in those talks, will also cooperate with Teheran on developing more nuclear power units in Iran, and consider producing nuclear fuel components there, according to a memorandum signed by the heads of the state atomic bodies, Sergey Kirienko of Russia's Rosatom and Ali Akbar Salehi of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI).

Iran already runs one Russian-built reactor in its Bushehr power plant.