Iran says door not closed on uranium transfer deal despite enrichment hike
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said he has 'no problem' with plan to ship uranium abroad for enrichment
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By Denise Trench
Atlantic, out Monday February 7th 2010. |  |
Tuesday, 09, Feb 2010 05:06
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Iranian officials have insisted they could still agree to a western-brokered plan to send nuclear fuel abroad despite pushing ahead with a controversial decision to enrich uranium to 20 per cent.
Yesterday the country's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced at a theatrical press conference that Iran would step up enrichment, a move the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said would be in breach of five United Nations security council resolutions.
After informing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of its decision, Iran began moves towards enriching uranium to 20 per cent - 70 per cent below weapons-grade level - at its Natanz facility earlier today.
The news has come as a shock for western powers, especially given last week's claim from President Ahmadinejad that he had "no problem" with plan to send the country's uranium stockpile to foreign countries before being returned in rods suitable for use in civilian nuclear reactor.
But Ali-Akbar Salehi, director of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), was quoted by Iranian state media as saying: "The beginning of the enrichment is not tantamount to the end of interaction and negotiations on a UN-brokered proposal on fuel swap," he said.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran is still ready to continue cooperation if the negotiation parties act wisely and end wasting time."
Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceable, but the west, especially the US, Britain and France, fears it is attempting to manufacture nuclear weapons.
Commenting, IAEA spokesperson Gill Tudor said: "IAEA director general Yukiya Amano noted with concern this decision, as it may affect, in particular, ongoing international efforts to ensure the availability of nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor.
"The director general reiterated the agency's readiness to play an intermediary role on the issue of the Tehran research reactor."