Iran agrees to exchange of nuclear fuel in Turkey
17 May 2010
Iran will swap more than 2,600 pounds of low-enriched uranium in exchange for higher-enriched uranium in order to power a medical research reactor. The uranium will be enriched to about 20 percent and available in about a year. Ninety percent enrichment is needed for a nuclear weapon. The amount of uranium Iran has agreed to send to Turkey represents about half of its uranium stockpile, the New York Times reported, citing an unnamed Western diplomat.
The deal announced Monday came following a meeting in Tehran of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran will reportedly ship its uranium to Turkey within a month.
The deal is similar to one proposed several months ago by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, that would have seen Iran exporting the majority of its low-enriched uranium to be further enriched and made into fuel rods in two European countries. Iran had insisted then and for the last several months that the exchange take place within the Islamic Republic.
Following Monday's signing of the deal, Ahmadinejad called on the world powers to set up new talks regarding Iran's nuclear program.
"Following the signing of the nuclear fuel swap deal, it is time for 5+1 countries to enter talks with Iran based on honesty, justice and mutual respect," Ahmadinejad said, referring to six world powers – the United States, Britain, China, France, Russia, all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, and Germany.
Both Turkey and Brazil, who currently sit on the Security Council, had offered to mediate with Iran, according to reports.
» Cautious response to Iranian offer of nuclear fuel exchange
» Ahmadinejad agrees "in principle" to mediated talks with West
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Muslims by nature are bluffing and they broke the covenants of is normal, as Mohammed did, so you should always beware of them
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Stanley Finkelstein, over 2 years ago
I owuld hold their feet to the fire and not tolerate any delays such as seen in the past. I would find someway to punish them for holding the world captive to Iranian threats.