Iran rejects UN uranium exchange offer
Published: 18 November, 2009, 18:18
Edited: 19 November, 2009, 09:46
TAGS: Conflict, Nuclear, UN, Asia
A top Iranian official announced on Wednesday that his nation had rejected a UN plan to send enriched uranium out of the country and get it back as fuel rods.
Iranian news agency ISNA quoted Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki as saying that the enriched uranium was “definitely” not leaving Iran. Instead, the minister suggested that the nuclear material is simultaneously swapped within Iran’s borders.
The original uranium exchange plan was offered by the UN last month in an attempt to resolve the lingering crisis over Iranian nuclear program. Part of international community, led by the US, claims that Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities could be used to produce weapons. Iran, however, has repeatedly claimed that the enrichment is for purely peaceful purposes.
On Tuesday, the British press reported secret talks between Iran and the UN nuclear agency that could, supposedly, end in the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic republic in exchange for closer cooperation with nuclear watchdogs.
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Iran simply cannot trust such a major political bargaining chip to its so called partners (some of whom have shown that they are not particularly reliable). However, Irans counter offer to exchange on their soil is a major and significant step forward - a very positive development. Iran has actually agreed to cooperate with the West - albeit on terms more favourable to them (and who can blame them - any country would want to obtain the best deal for themselves). I hope that the world powers can now see that Iran does not pose a threat, and through good old fashioned negotiation an agreement can be reached. This may however not be the answer some countries wanted, but it should be enough to end all the talk of sanctions and 'other options'.