ianstone
05-17-2010, 06:49 AM
News Front (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/default.stm)Arabic (http://www.bbc.co.uk/arabic)
Persian (http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/)
Turkish (http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish)
More (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/languages/)
http://stats.bbc.co.uk/o.gif?~RS~s~RS~News~RS~t~RS~HighWeb_Story~RS~i~RS~ 8685846~RS~p~RS~38255~RS~a~RS~Domestic~RS~u~RS~/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm~RS~r~RS~http://news.bbc.co.uk/~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~05~RS~
Page last updated at 10:28 GMT, Monday, 17 May 2010 11:28 UK
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm)http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif Printable version (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm?ad=1)
Iran signs nuclear fuel-swap deal with Turkey
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47860000/jpg/_47860877_009312309-1.jpg The deal was hammered out by Turkey, Brazil and Iran
Iran has signed an agreement to send uranium abroad for enrichment after mediation talks in Tehran with Turkish and Brazilian leaders. Iran's foreign ministry said it was ready to ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium to Turkey, in return for nuclear fuel for a research reactor.
Correspondents say the plan could revive a UN-backed proposal and may ward off another round of sanctions.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling on world leaders for new talks.
He said it was time for talks "with Iran based on honesty, justice and mutual respect".
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifKEY POINTS OF THE DEAL
Iran will notify the IAEA of the details of the agreement within a week
If approved by the Vienna Group, Iran will ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey
The LEU will remain the property of Iran while in Turkey
Tehran and the IAEA may send observers to monitor its security
The Vienna group must then deliver 120kg of nuclear fuel to Iran within a year
Iran may request that Turkey return its LEU "swiftly and unconditionally to Iran
The West, worried that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, has been pushing for stiffer sanctions against Iran. Tehran denies having a nuclear weapons programme.
The new deal does not address the central nuclear issues dealt with by successive UN Security Council resolutions, namely Iran's refusal to halt its enrichment programme and address questions about its past nuclear activities.
Iran says it will continue enriching uranium.
On Monday French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said there had been progress in talks at the Security Council on fresh sanctions against Tehran, AFP news agency reported.
The German government said that nothing could replace a deal between Iran and the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
'Negotiating ploy?'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were at the talks in Tehran.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifhttp://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47860000/jpg/_47860881_007437822-1.jpg
Paul Reynolds, World affairs correspondent, BBC News website
Whether this is a breakthrough or a device to try to stop further sanctions - currently being discussed - remains to be determined. On the plus side, it appears that Iran is still interested in swapping some of its low-enriched uranium for fuel rods for its medical research reactor in Tehran which is in need of replenishment.
Sending low-enriched uranium to Turkey would be a good first step but it does not solve the problem because Turkey cannot produce fuel rods. There therefore needs to be a further agreement with the countries that made an earlier offer to supply them - the US, Russia and France.
And these countries are likely to be very cautious as they fear that Iran will impose conditions that, for them, make a deal impossible.
And all this does nothing to resolve the underlying issue which is Iran's determination to continue with enrichment despite being ordered to stop by the Security Council. Q&A: Iran and nuclear issue (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8495086.stm)
"Turkey will be the place to keep Iran's 3.5% [low-enriched] uranium," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news briefing after foreign ministers signed the deal.
He said that 1,200kg would be shipped to Turkey, and that Iran would notify the IAEA, "within a week".
Under the deal, Iran has said it is prepared to move its uranium within a month of its approval by the so-called Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA).
In return, Iran says it expects within a year 120kg of more highly enriched uranium (20%), a purity well below that used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
If the deadline is not met, Iran says Turkey "will return swiftly and unconditionally Iran's low-enriched uranium".
The BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, in London, says the agreement does not make clear whether Iran's low-grade uranium will be used to make the new fuel or just held as a kind of security deposit.
Our correspondent says Western governments will fear this is just a negotiating ploy designed to delay new sanctions.
Crucially, Turkey and Brazil are both on the UN Security Council so have a vote on those sanctions.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who spent 18 hours hammering out the deal with his Brazilian and Iranian counterparts, said there was now no need for more sanctions against Iran.
"The swap deal shows that Tehran wants to open a constructive path... there is no more ground for new sanctions and pressures," he said.
'Last chance'
The US is in the final stages of negotiating a fourth sanctions package with other UN Security Council members.
This new deal will be examined in great detail and with a high degree of scepticism in foreign capitals, our Tehran correspondent says.
Iran backed out of a similar proposal last October citing disagreement about the details of the deal, which included a simultaneous swap, something the IAEA said was not feasible.
Iran's stocks are now thought to be much larger than the 1,200kg covered by the new agreement.
Israel was quick to react to the deal. The AFP news agency reported an unnamed official as accusing Iran of "manipulating" Turkey and Brazil to stave off further sanctions.
Both Russia and the US say the talks represent Iran's last chance to avoid harsher sanctions.
Iran has been mounting a big diplomatic effort to prevent new UN sanctions; its foreign minister has visited all 15 members of the security council.
I still find it disturbing that Iran has a free flowing nuclear program.
Do you agree ?
Persian (http://www.bbc.co.uk/persian/)
Turkish (http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish)
More (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/languages/)
http://stats.bbc.co.uk/o.gif?~RS~s~RS~News~RS~t~RS~HighWeb_Story~RS~i~RS~ 8685846~RS~p~RS~38255~RS~a~RS~Domestic~RS~u~RS~/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm~RS~r~RS~http://news.bbc.co.uk/~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~05~RS~
Page last updated at 10:28 GMT, Monday, 17 May 2010 11:28 UK
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/email.gif E-mail this to a friend (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm)http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/print.gif Printable version (http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8685846.stm?ad=1)
Iran signs nuclear fuel-swap deal with Turkey
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47860000/jpg/_47860877_009312309-1.jpg The deal was hammered out by Turkey, Brazil and Iran
Iran has signed an agreement to send uranium abroad for enrichment after mediation talks in Tehran with Turkish and Brazilian leaders. Iran's foreign ministry said it was ready to ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium to Turkey, in return for nuclear fuel for a research reactor.
Correspondents say the plan could revive a UN-backed proposal and may ward off another round of sanctions.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is calling on world leaders for new talks.
He said it was time for talks "with Iran based on honesty, justice and mutual respect".
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifKEY POINTS OF THE DEAL
Iran will notify the IAEA of the details of the agreement within a week
If approved by the Vienna Group, Iran will ship 1,200kg of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Turkey
The LEU will remain the property of Iran while in Turkey
Tehran and the IAEA may send observers to monitor its security
The Vienna group must then deliver 120kg of nuclear fuel to Iran within a year
Iran may request that Turkey return its LEU "swiftly and unconditionally to Iran
The West, worried that Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb, has been pushing for stiffer sanctions against Iran. Tehran denies having a nuclear weapons programme.
The new deal does not address the central nuclear issues dealt with by successive UN Security Council resolutions, namely Iran's refusal to halt its enrichment programme and address questions about its past nuclear activities.
Iran says it will continue enriching uranium.
On Monday French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said there had been progress in talks at the Security Council on fresh sanctions against Tehran, AFP news agency reported.
The German government said that nothing could replace a deal between Iran and the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
'Negotiating ploy?'
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad were at the talks in Tehran.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifhttp://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47860000/jpg/_47860881_007437822-1.jpg
Paul Reynolds, World affairs correspondent, BBC News website
Whether this is a breakthrough or a device to try to stop further sanctions - currently being discussed - remains to be determined. On the plus side, it appears that Iran is still interested in swapping some of its low-enriched uranium for fuel rods for its medical research reactor in Tehran which is in need of replenishment.
Sending low-enriched uranium to Turkey would be a good first step but it does not solve the problem because Turkey cannot produce fuel rods. There therefore needs to be a further agreement with the countries that made an earlier offer to supply them - the US, Russia and France.
And these countries are likely to be very cautious as they fear that Iran will impose conditions that, for them, make a deal impossible.
And all this does nothing to resolve the underlying issue which is Iran's determination to continue with enrichment despite being ordered to stop by the Security Council. Q&A: Iran and nuclear issue (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8495086.stm)
"Turkey will be the place to keep Iran's 3.5% [low-enriched] uranium," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a news briefing after foreign ministers signed the deal.
He said that 1,200kg would be shipped to Turkey, and that Iran would notify the IAEA, "within a week".
Under the deal, Iran has said it is prepared to move its uranium within a month of its approval by the so-called Vienna Group (US, Russia, France and the IAEA).
In return, Iran says it expects within a year 120kg of more highly enriched uranium (20%), a purity well below that used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
If the deadline is not met, Iran says Turkey "will return swiftly and unconditionally Iran's low-enriched uranium".
The BBC's Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne, in London, says the agreement does not make clear whether Iran's low-grade uranium will be used to make the new fuel or just held as a kind of security deposit.
Our correspondent says Western governments will fear this is just a negotiating ploy designed to delay new sanctions.
Crucially, Turkey and Brazil are both on the UN Security Council so have a vote on those sanctions.
The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who spent 18 hours hammering out the deal with his Brazilian and Iranian counterparts, said there was now no need for more sanctions against Iran.
"The swap deal shows that Tehran wants to open a constructive path... there is no more ground for new sanctions and pressures," he said.
'Last chance'
The US is in the final stages of negotiating a fourth sanctions package with other UN Security Council members.
This new deal will be examined in great detail and with a high degree of scepticism in foreign capitals, our Tehran correspondent says.
Iran backed out of a similar proposal last October citing disagreement about the details of the deal, which included a simultaneous swap, something the IAEA said was not feasible.
Iran's stocks are now thought to be much larger than the 1,200kg covered by the new agreement.
Israel was quick to react to the deal. The AFP news agency reported an unnamed official as accusing Iran of "manipulating" Turkey and Brazil to stave off further sanctions.
Both Russia and the US say the talks represent Iran's last chance to avoid harsher sanctions.
Iran has been mounting a big diplomatic effort to prevent new UN sanctions; its foreign minister has visited all 15 members of the security council.
I still find it disturbing that Iran has a free flowing nuclear program.
Do you agree ?