Tehran, January 05: Iran repeated on Tuesday its counter-proposal for a staged swap of its low enriched uranium (LEU) for nuclear fuel from abroad for a research reactor, leaving “details” open to discussion.
“If the other side expresses readiness for the gradual and staged swap, we will discuss the details,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
Iran has rejected an offer drawn up by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at allaying fears about Tehran’s nuclear drive by shipping most of its LEU stockpile abroad to be further enriched into reactor fuel.
Instead it has come out with its own proposal of a simultaneous and staged swap of LEU for reactor fuel.
World powers gave Iran until the end of 2009 to accept the UN-brokered deal but the deadline was ignored, prompting talk of fresh sanctions against the Islamic republic.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki insisted on Saturday that Tehran in fact had until the end of January to reach a uranium swap deal, stressing it will press on with plans to produce highly enriched nuclear fuel if there is no agreement.
Mottaki gave the West a one-month “ultimatum” to accept the Iranian counter-proposal.
Mehmanparast stressed that Tehran considered three options for its nuclear fuel supply.
“Either we buy the fuel, or cooperate for swap or if they do not prepare grounds for these, we will pursue our own fuel production plan.”
Iran is already under three sets of UN Security Council sanctions over its defiance and refusal to suspend enrichment, which lies at the heart of international fears about its nuclear programme.
The process that makes nuclear fuel can also be used to make the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
The United States, Israel and other world powers suspect Tehran is making a nuclear bomb under the guise of a civilian programme, an allegation Iran vehemently denies.
—Agencies