23 October 2009
Iran Delays Answer on Draft Enrichment Proposal
Washington — The United States, France and Russia have given the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) a “positive response” to a draft proposal to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor, but Iran has asked for a few more days to consider the arrangement.
“This is a real opportunity for Iran to help address some of the real concerns of the international community about its nuclear program, and at the same time still provide for the humanitarian needs of the Iranian people,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters October 23.
According to news reports, the proposal involves having Iran send its low-enriched uranium to the IAEA, which then would bring it to Russia to be enriched to a higher grade, but not high enough for the production of weapons. The IAEA then would transport the enriched uranium to France, which has the technology to add the “cell elements” needed for Iran’s medical-research reactor.
In an October 23 statement, IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran had informed him that “it is considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs time until the middle of next week to provide a response.” ElBaradei added that he hopes Iran will respond positively “since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation.”
Originally, ElBaradei had asked all four countries to respond by October 23.
“The international community has been waiting a long time for Iran to address some of our real concerns about their intentions. But all along we have said the IAEA is taking the lead on this and we hope there are no more delays than these next few days,” Kelly said.
Concerns over Iran’s nuclear activities were heightened in September by the disclosure that Iran had concealed its construction of a nuclear facility near Qom that could be used to produce highly enriched uranium needed for nuclear weapons. (See “United States Has Known of Iranian Facility ‘for Several Years’.”)
Kelly said IAEA inspectors may be granted access to the facility on October 25. “A lot of the preparatory work has been done, so we expect it will happen on Sunday,” he said.
The United States and its partners in the P5+1 grouping — Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, and Germany — are working to hold a meeting with Iran before the end of October that would follow up on their October 1 session in Geneva in which the proposal to provide fuel for its medical-research facility was first discussed. (See “Obama Says Iran Talks ‘Constructive’ but Need Follow-Up Action.”)
The ultimate goal driving the engagement with Iran is “to raise the international community’s confidence in its nuclear program,” Kelly said. “The P5+1 is the forum for that.”
The United States views Iran’s agreement to open up the Qom facility to IAEA inspectors and to work out a procedure for getting its low-enriched uranium reprocessed in another country as a positive sign, Kelly said.
