Tehran has apparently failed to respond to a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under which most of Iran’s enriched uranium would be sent to Russia for further refining. The draft agreement reached between the IAEA, several Western countries and Iranian negotiators last Wednesday in Vienna is aimed at reducing international concern over Tehran's nuclear program. Under the deal, Iran would get the fuel it needs for its reactor but not have enough uranium to make a bomb.
Russian nuclear industry insiders were quoted by ‘BBC News’ as saying that the proposed process would involve Iran sending its uranium to the IAEA, which would then forward it to Russia for enriching. The enriched uranium would then be returned to the IAEA and sent to France, which has the technology to add the "cell elements" needed for Iran's reactor. This process would enable Iran to obtain enough enriched uranium for its research reactor, but not enough to produce a weapon. Exporting uranium has been seen as a way for Iran to get the fuel it needs, while giving guarantees to the West that it will not be used for nuclear weapons. Iranian chief negotiator Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh talked positively about a deal, but did not mention uranium export.
However, a positive response was not forthcoming from Tehran by Friday, as was expected, and Tehran seemed to offer a different proposal of which no details were available. "Now we are awaiting a positive and constructive response on Iran's proposal from the other party on providing nuclear fuel for Tehran's reactor," Iranian state television quoted a member of Iran's negotiating team, who attended nuclear talks in Vienna this week, as saying. “The other party is expected to avoid past mistakes in violating agreements ... and to gain Iran's trust," the unnamed official said.
Speaking at a visit in Lebanon, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said signs that Iran would agree to the proposed package were "not positive." On Friday, the governments of France, Russia and the United States gave their approval to the IAEA deal.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak demanded that Iran stop all enrichment of uranium, saying it would be used to develop nuclear arms. Barak criticized a provision in a draft agreement in which three-quarters of Iran's stockpile of nuclear fuel would be sent to Russia to be enriched enough for use in a nuclear reactor but not in a weapon. He urged other countries to set a clear deadline for Iran and impose "immediate, tough sanctions with no illusions." The Labor Party leader said: "The uranium enrichment by Iran must be stopped altogether. Iran received legitimization for enriching uranium for civilian purposes on its soil, contrary to the understanding that those negotiating with it have about its real plans – obtaining nuclear [weapons] capability," Barak told the Israeli President’s Conference in Jerusalem.
Meanwhile, Russia's Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation said in a statement that it would continue military cooperation with Iran despite unease in the West over Moscow's controversial contract to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Tehran. "The Russian Federation implements and plans to further implement the military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran in strict accordance with existing legislation and its international obligations," the government agency said, following media reports earlier this week that Iran had not yet paid Russia for the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
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