The Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization says the country's first nuclear power plant will be launched in late August, after decades of construction.

The preliminary stage of operation at the thousand-megawatt light-water reactor has been delayed over construction and supply glitches. The plant will run on enriched uranium, which worries the West because the element can later be turned into plutonium. The Bushehr reactor was initially scheduled to open in 2008. Around 700 Iranian engineers were trained in Russia over four years to operate the plant.