Iran told atomic inspectors this week that it had run into a “serious problem” at its Bushehr reactor, a nuclear reactor that was supposed to start feeding electricity into the national grid this month, and it’s planning to unload nuclear fuel from the reactor. The news indicates “a major upset,” since Tehran has used its Bushehr reactor to showcase its peaceful nuclear intentions and quickening progress. The country gave no reason for the sudden fuel unloading, but nuclear experts said the trouble could range from minor safety issues to “serious problems” that could bring the reactor’s operational life to an end. The Stuxnet computer worm that Iran previously admitted had infected the Bushehr reactor may also be to blame, and that was our first guess, really. [NYT]
