Alarm bells as Iran demands change to UN uranium plan

Published on Tuesday 27 October 2009 21:30

IRAN will seek "important changes" in a UN-drafted plan to ship enriched uranium out of the country for processing, state television reported yesterday, raising alarm bells among western leaders who are pushing the deal in hopes of easing concerns over Iran's nuclear programme.

The report said Iran would agree to the "general framework" of the plan, but also request unspecified changes.

That suggests Tehran will accept the idea of sending the uranium abroad – something it had previously appeared reluctant to do – but that there could be a tussle with the United States and Europe over how it will be sent and how much.

France's foreign minister expressed exasperation with Tehran, saying it was trying to have the proposal "thoroughly reworked".

Bernard Kouchner said he did not think the plan needed dramatic changes and warned Iran: "It cannot take forever. We wait for answers."

The plan was formalised by the United Nations last week after talks between Iran and the US, Russia and France. It calls for Iran to ship 70 per cent of its enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment.

The US and its allies back the deal because it would at least temporarily leave Iran's uranium stockpiles too low to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any intention to develop a bomb.

Iran's state-run channel al-Alam cited an unidentified official saying Iran would officially reply on the deal within 48 hours. Iran "will agree to the general framework" of the plan "with a request for important changes". the official said.

The report did not specify the amendments Iran will seek. Another Iranian state channel, Press TV, said Tehran was opposed to sending the entire shipment abroad at once, suggesting it wants to do it in stages.

Iran has also hinted it may want to send less than the 70 per cent of its stockpiles abroad. On Monday, Iranian foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran might agree to "deliver part of (the low-enriched uranium] fuel we currently don't need".

A French diplomat said he expects Iran will seek to dramatically reduce the amount of uranium it would ship. The diplomat in Paris spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who is also negotiating with the Iranians, said: "The deal was a good deal; I don't think it requires fundamental changes."

In the enrichment process, uranium purified to a low level – 5 per cent or below – is used as fuel for a nuclear reactor, and to a somewhat higher level – about 20 per cent – it can power a research reactor.

The US and its allies fear Iran secretly intends to further enrich its low-enriched uranium to more than 90 per cent purity, the level needed to build a bomb. Iran contends its programme is intended only to generate electricity.

About 2,200lbs of low-enriched uranium is needed to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a single nuclear warhead, according to experts.

The UN plan would require Iran to send 2,420lb to Russia in one batch by the end of the year to be enriched further. It would then be sent to France to be made into isotopes for use in a Tehran research reactor. Doing so would put Iran well below the quantity needed for a bomb.