The launch of Iran's first nuclear power station is likely to be delayed due to late payments by Iran, a Russian spokeswoman said on Monday.
Russia has been building Iran's first atomic power station in the city of Bushehr, which was scheduled for a September launch.
"So far payments have been made according to the agreed schedule."
Problematic project
Saeedi said the financing problem was "related to the Russian contractor and not the Iranian side" and added that Iran would come up with a solution to this in the coming days.
Your Views "Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy just like other world countries"Shahid, Delhi, India Send us your viewsThe project has been beset by a catalogue of delays amid US frustration that Moscow is involved in such a project at a time of mounting international tension over the Iranian nuclear programme.
"Iran has the right to develop nuclear energy just like other world countries"Shahid, Delhi, India
Send us your views
"The installations in the power plant are progressing well and the Russian contractor is doing its best so that it goes on stream according to schedule," Saeedi said.
The potential construction delay comes shortly before the expiry of the February 21 deadline set down by the UN Security Council for Iran to halt its nuclear work.
Security priority
Ali Larijani, the Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, has suggested that Iran places a formal limit on the degree of its enrichment as a guarantee that it is not seeking an atomic bomb.
Mohamed ElBaradei, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief, has said the Iran issue is "not going to be resolved through sanctions alone".
ElBaradei told Western powers on Monday that they need to reassure Iran over its security rather than just ratchet up sanctions if they want to resolve a nuclear standoff.
ElBaradei said: "You need to reach out to the country and bring them to engagement. You need to get that process going."
"We will probably go even further with sanctions if Iran will not comply [but] the nuclear issue is really the tip of the iceberg."
"Iran feels insecure. They live in a neighbourhood which is not the most friendly," he said, pointing out that Pakistan and Russia both have nuclear weapons.
"There are grievances between Iran and the West. You have got to address the security issue."