World powers say Teheran's uranium stocks still growing

VIENNA - Iran outlined to the United Nations nuclear watchdog on Monday a deal to give up some of its enriched uranium, calling it major progress toward resolving a standoff with world powers now pursuing tougher sanctions against Teheran.

A letter signed by Iranian nuclear program chief Ali Akbar Salehi was handed over to International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Amano at a 45-minute meeting in Vienna, an Iranian diplomat told reporters. He gave no details.

Iran's Arabic-language al-Alam state television quoted Salehi's letter as saying the deal was "a major step forward" towards defusing tensions over its nuclear energy program. There was no immediate IAEA comment.

The deal to swap low-enriched uranium for fuel to run an Iranian medical research reactor, aimed at allaying fears Iran is trying to amass enough fissile material for nuclear weapons, was agreed to last week by Tehran with Turkey and Brazil.

Under the plan, Iran would transfer to Turkey 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) - enough for an atom bomb if enriched to high purity - in return for special fuel rods to replenish the stocks of its medical isotope reactor.

But world powers voiced doubt about the value of this offer - based on a seven-month-old, IAEA-backed proposal - since Iran's LEU stockpile has grown significantly since then, meaning it could still be left with enough for a nuclear warhead.

Iran has also started refining uranium to a higher level.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Teheran had accepted the nuclear fuel swap to show good faith in efforts to defuse tensions over its atomic ambitions, which he reiterated were solely peaceful.

The original deal brokered between Iran, the United States, France and Russia in October foundered in disputes over detail.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday that he hoped the new proposal could open the way to a negotiated settlement.

But the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, after months of negotiations, did not respond to Iran's move, agreeing to a draft resolution on a new set of sanctions against Iran that Washington handed to the Security Council last week.

Reuters

(China Daily 05/25/2010 page11)