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Russia Wants Nuclear Fuel Deal With Iran
Russia has proposed a joint venture with Iran to produce nuclear fuel, in hopes of breaking the deadlock over Tehran’s atomic program, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, Nov. 2). Under Moscow’s plan, Iran would be permitted to continue low-level uranium reprocessing at its Isfahan plant. All other related activities would have to stop. Uranium tetrafluoride produced at Isfahan would be shipped to Russia for conversion into uranium hexafluoride and enrichment, Reuters reported. “Uranium conversion may be the face-saving activity that Iran could be permitted to engage in,” said one diplomat. Iranian officials, however, have insisted that any joint enrichment venture be located on Iranian territory, said one diplomat with knowledge of the plan. International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei is said to support the proposal (Louis Charbonneau, Reuters, Nov. 2). Meanwhile, Iran has admitted international nuclear inspectors to its Parchin military complex, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday. The IAEA deputy director general for safeguards, Ollie Heinonen, and two other inspectors took environmental samples from the installation suspected by the United States of containing nuclear weapons work, AFP reported. Some diplomats complained, however, that Iran remains defiant of international concerns by pursuing uranium conversion at Isfahan. Tehran plans to process another 37 tons of uranium ore next week, AFP reported. One Western diplomat said the U.N. agency “has repeatedly called on Tehran to resuspend uranium conversion.” “A lot of people are taking a good hard look at Iran and thinking that its statements and actions are on the wrong trajectory,” the diplomat said (Agence France-Presse I/SpaceWar.com, Nov. 2). Elsewhere, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was not planning military action against Iran, despite his strongly worded response last week to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” AFP reported. “Nobody is talking about military threats or invasion of Iran,” he said in response to questions from members of Parliament. “The Iranian government has got to understand that the international community simply will not put up with their continued breach of the proper and normal standards of behavior that we expect from a member of the United Nations,” he said (Agence France-Presse II/SpaceWar.com, Nov. 2).
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