Tehran, February 08: Iran was expected Monday to officially inform the UN nuclear watchdog of its plans to enrich uranium to a higher level, but insisted it will stop the process if a UN-backed nuclear deal is clinched.
Iran’s atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi announced that Tehran will begin enriching uranium to 20 percent from Tuesday and that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be informed of its decision on Monday.
Salehi’s announcement late Sunday came just hours after he was ordered by Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to start enriching uranium to 20 percent to provide nuclear fuel to the Tehran reactor.
Salehi, however, said that Tehran would stop the higher enrichment programme if a long-negotiated deal with world powers is concluded.
The UN-drafted deal envisages shipping out Iran’s low-enriched uranium (LEU) of 3.5 percent abroad to be converted into 20 percent enriched uranium for Tehran’s research reactor, which makes medical isotopes.
“Our proposal (to swap the LEU with the fuel) is valid but if we receive the fuel then we will stop the enrichment” of 20 percent uranium, Salehi said, leaving the door open for a last minute deal.
France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy was to meet US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates in Paris on Monday to rally support against Iran.
France and the United States believe Tehran plans to increase its refining capability until it is ready to produce the kind of highly enriched uranium that it would need to build an atomic weapon.
Both allies — members of the six-strong international contact group set up to deal with Iran — have been pushing for stronger international sanctions..
But the allies fear that fellow veto-wielding permanent council member China could torpedo tougher action.
“France has been taking a very tough stance on Iran,” a senior US official in Gates’ party said. “We want to take up the resolution while the French are chairing the UN Security Council.
—Agencies