Iran loads fuel rods into its nuclear reactor

The New York Times reports that Iran is now loading its first nuclear power plant with fuel rods.  It is unclear if the International Atomic Energy Agency is in Iran observing everything or not.  The US and Israel’s concern is that the spent rods can be used to make plutonium based nuclear weapons.  Currently, Russia is supposed to be taking the spent rods from Iran.  And this is where things get tricky.  Is the Bushehr power plant a front to allow the nuclear weapons program to keep developing, or is it innocuous? 

On a side note, based on the Time’s picture, the use of hard hats at nuclear power facilities in Iran appears to be inconsistent.