Iran's state-run TV station called Moscow an "irresponsible partner" Tuesday evening and accused it of delaying construction of the Bushehr nuclear plant "because of political pressure and not a problem with payments."

At the same time, a top Iranian official Tuesday denied a report in the New York Times today that Russia has made the supply of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr power plant conditional on the suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran.

Ali Husseini Tash, Undersecretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, rejected the statements attributed to the secretary of Russia's national security council, Igor Ivanov. According to Iranian news agency Fars, Tash said that Ivanov never made such remarks.