IAEA claims breakthrough on Iranian uranium enrichment

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations, Mohammed ElBaradei, has claimed that Iranian negotiators in Vienna signed off on a compromise proposal put forward by the IAEA. Tehran has been given until Friday to officially accept the deal, under which Iran would ship most of its low-enriched nuclear fuel outside the country for the processing needed to use it in a  nuclear medicine facility. However, ElBaradei cautioned the new agreement had yet to be approved by Tehran, whose diplomats in recent weeks denied Western claims it had made a similar commitment at with the group of Six Nations earlier this month. "I would cross my fingers that, by Friday, we should have an OK and an approval by all the parties concerned," ElBaradei said, adding: "I very much hope that people see the big picture – that this agreement could pave the way for a complete normalization of relations between Iran and the international community.”

Obama administration officials expressed cautious optimism that the agreement could increase the chances of striking a broader diplomatic accord and put off any decision about whether to address the Iranian nuclear threat by other means, including military action. "Prompt action is needed on implementing the plan," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Washington.

The proposal focuses on the 1,600 kilograms of fuel the IAEA estimates Iran has so far produced. Experts believe that this is enough to produce at least one atomic bomb within a year if Iranian scientists can enrich the material to the required higher grade. Since Iran claims that it seeks lower-grade fuel to replace diminishing stocks for its aging research reactor in Tehran, the deal calls for 75 percent of the Iranian stockpile to be sent to Russia for the first stage of additional enrichment.

IAEA experts believe the amount left in Iran would not be enough for a nuclear bomb. However, fears remain that Iran could replace the stocks shipped to Russia by continuing enrichment. Under the draft agreement, Iran would ship most of the fuel for overseas processing by the end of the year.