Russian nuke deal a rumor, says Iran

Iran on Tuesday denied media reports that it has agreed to ship some of its enriched uranium to Russia as part of a possible deal with world powers on its controversial nuclear program.

"None of the speculations and rumors by foreign media, which are circulated for political ends, are confirmed," the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham, was quoted as saying by the IRNA news agency.

A report in the New York Times on Monday said that Iran "has tentatively agreed to ship much of its huge stockpile of uranium to Russia if it reaches a broader nuclear deal with the West".

"Under the proposed agreement, the Russians would convert the uranium into specialized fuel rods for the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's only commercial reactor. Once the uranium is converted into fuel rods, it is extremely difficult to use them to make a nuclear weapon," the report said, quoting officials and diplomats involved in the nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Such media reports are aimed at destroying the existing political climate ahead of the upcoming nuclear talks, Afkham said, adding that "regardless of such media hype, the Iranian negotiators will attend the talks considering only the national interests and observing the Iranians' rights".

On Sunday, Iran's senior nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said his country and the world powers would hold another round of nuclear talks in Muscat, Oman, on Nov 11.