VIENNA — Iran has formally set out its terms for giving up most of its cache of enriched uranium in a confidential document — and the conditions fall short of what has been demanded by the United States and other world powers.
The document — seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday — says Tehran is ready to hand over the bulk of its stockpile, as called for under a deal brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency and endorsed by the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany.
But Iran adds that it must simultaneously receive fuel rods for its research reactor in return, and that such an exchange must take place on Iranian territory.
The Iranian offer was sure to be rejected by the six powers, which have waited for nearly six months for such an official answer.
The United States and others fear Iran’s nuclear program is geared toward making nuclear weapons, while Tehran claims it is simply to provide more power for its growing population. The United Nations has slapped sanctions on Iran for its defiance on nuclear issues.
Ali Asghar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian delegate to the IAEA, told the AP the letter, to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano, was “formally reflecting” his country’s position, which has been expressed to the IAEA and to the media in various forms.
The U.S. and its allies have previously said there can be no significant deviation from the original deal, which wo… >>>
