US considering nuclear accord with Russia

WASHINGTON -- The United States is discussing the possibility of a civilian nuclear energy agreement with Russia that could help wean Moscow away from cooperation with Iran, according to US officials.

The move comes as Western powers become increasingly alarmed about what they say is Iran's determination to produce nuclear weapons. Diplomatic efforts to persuade Tehran to reverse course so far have been frustrated, in part because of US and allied differences with Russia, the only major power still engaging in lucrative nuclear cooperation with the Islamic republic.

In recent interviews, several US officials said a possible nuclear energy accord with Moscow is under review. They spoke anonymously because the issue is sensitive and no final decision has been made.

Such an agreement would be a significant change in US policy, which prohibits most nuclear cooperation with Russia because of Moscow's pivotal role in building Iran's $800 million nuclear power plant at Bushehr.

A cooperation agreement is ''something that we're actively evaluating" and have discussed with the Russians over the past two months, one official said.

''It would provide a foundation for greater cooperation but doesn't commit the sides to any particular project and could be a way of demonstrating to the Russians how much larger our market is than what exists in Iran," he added.

Russia has long defended its nuclear cooperation and conventional arms sales to Iran as a critical revenue source.

US officials have intensified efforts to get Moscow to end both pursuits to penalize Iran for defying the UN Security Council, which has demanded Tehran halt its uranium enrichment activities.

While Russia remains committed to Bushehr, US officials say work has slowed, and Moscow still has not delivered critical nuclear fuel for the reactor.

Robert Einhorn, a former top US nonproliferation official, said a nuclear agreement with Russia is a sound idea.

''Whether by itself it will constitute a sufficient carrot for Russia to take a tougher position on Iran remains to be seen," he said.

Einhorn, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the United States has as much to gain from an agreement as Russia, and Moscow is unlikely to make major concessions just to get it.

A recent bipartisan study by the Council on Foreign Relations concluded that Russia is the only power that can effectively threaten Iran with nuclear isolation if it continues to build sensitive nuclear fuel-cycle facilities.

It urged Washington to negotiate a nuclear energy agreement, saying while it should not be necessary to buy Russia's support, successful cooperation does have to rest on mutual confidence. Such confidence, the study said, could be strengthened by a stronger legal framework for cooperation on nuclear issues.

A nuclear deal would allow expanded cooperation, including the administration's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Initiative, and would reflect Russia's status as a major factor in nuclear commerce, from fuel supply and storage to reactor sales and advanced research, the study said.