By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TEHRAN, Iran – On December 12 Iran announced a new offer for the swapping of uranium for fuel. Manouchehr Mottaki said, according to Iran’s state-run broadcasting, that the Islamic Republic was “ready to exchange some four hundred kilograms of three point five percent enriched uranium in Iran’s Kish Island and received twenty percent enriched fuel.”
The United States and other country have been negotiating with Iran to have the Islamic Republic send low-enriched uranium abroad. It would then be turned into material that could be used in a reactor.
The US rejected the new proposal by Iran. A senior State Department official commented on the new plan, saying that “Iran’s proposal does not appear to be consistent with the fair balanced draft agreement proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”
The original draft agreement, which was formulated in consultation with the US, Russia and France, called for Iran to exchange it’s uranium all at once. The IAEA reportedly fears that carrying out the nuclear excahnge in slow stages could lead to Iran being in control of enough uranium to make a bomb. The specific terms of the original draft agreement called for Iran to send twelve hundred kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Russia in one batch. It would then be sent to France for fabrication into fuel assemblies before being sent back to Iran. The goal would be to power a research reactor in Tehran that produces medical isotopes.
While Iran continues to insist that its nuclear plans are for peaceful purposes such as producing fuel for power plants, the majority of the international community remains skeptical. The senior State Department official commented that the US remains committed to the original terms of the draft agreement, but “Iran has been unwilling to engage in further talks on its nuclear program.”
In November Iran was formerly chastised for its action with its nuclear program. The IAEA’s thirty five-nation board endorsed a resolution proposed by the US, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain that criticized Iran for defying a UN security council ban on uranium enrichment. Iran was also criticized for continuing to expand its nuclear operations.
For more information, please see:
Al Jazeera – US Rejects Iran Nuclear Offer – 13 December 2009
CNN – Iran ‘Ready to Swap Uranium For Fuel’ – 13 December 2009
Press TV – Washington ‘Rejects Iran Uranium Swap Offer’ – 13 December 2009
UPI – U.S.: Iran Nuke Offer Doesn’t Comply – 13 December 2009
