Iran Is Open to Sending Uranium Abroad for Processing, Officials Say
Inspections of Nuclear Site Are Expected to Begin in Two Weeks
By MARC CHAMPION
WSj
GENEVA -- Iran agreed in principle to send "most" of its known stockpile of enriched uranium for processing abroad to make fuel rods for a medical research reactor, in what U.S. and European officials said Thursday after day long talks in Geneva would be a significant move that would delay Iran's potential to build a nuclear weapon.
While diplomats were cautious about the outcome of the talks, held in an 18th century villa on Lake Geneva, they said that if carried through the deal to transfer enriched uranium could go a long way to establishing confidence in Iran's intentions and reassuring concerns in the region.
Analysts believe Iran recently acquired sufficient low enriched uranium to make one nuclear bomb, if enriched further to weapons grade. Asked how much of that material Iran would have to send away, a senior U.S. official said "most of it."
U.S. and European officials also said Iran had agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the newly revealed uranium enrichment facility that Iran's has been building in secret at Qom, in north central Iran. The officials said they expected Iran to comply fully with the IAEA within two weeks. The two sides agreed to meet for further talks by the end of the month.
Thursday's meeting was the first in six years of negotiations between the international community and Iran over its nuclear fuel program in which the U.S. has participated fully. The talks included a rare one-on-one meeting between the U.S. State Department's number three official, undersecretary for political affairs William J. Burns and Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's national security council.
The senior official described that meeting, held in a sitting room off the villa conference hall where the main talks were held, as "direct and businesslike." The official said Mr. Burns had stressed U.S. concerns over the Qom site and other questions regarding Iran's nuclear program it has yet to answer fully to the IAEA, as well as human rights issue.
(More here.)
By MARC CHAMPION
WSj
GENEVA -- Iran agreed in principle to send "most" of its known stockpile of enriched uranium for processing abroad to make fuel rods for a medical research reactor, in what U.S. and European officials said Thursday after day long talks in Geneva would be a significant move that would delay Iran's potential to build a nuclear weapon.
While diplomats were cautious about the outcome of the talks, held in an 18th century villa on Lake Geneva, they said that if carried through the deal to transfer enriched uranium could go a long way to establishing confidence in Iran's intentions and reassuring concerns in the region.
Analysts believe Iran recently acquired sufficient low enriched uranium to make one nuclear bomb, if enriched further to weapons grade. Asked how much of that material Iran would have to send away, a senior U.S. official said "most of it."
U.S. and European officials also said Iran had agreed to allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect the newly revealed uranium enrichment facility that Iran's has been building in secret at Qom, in north central Iran. The officials said they expected Iran to comply fully with the IAEA within two weeks. The two sides agreed to meet for further talks by the end of the month.
Thursday's meeting was the first in six years of negotiations between the international community and Iran over its nuclear fuel program in which the U.S. has participated fully. The talks included a rare one-on-one meeting between the U.S. State Department's number three official, undersecretary for political affairs William J. Burns and Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran's national security council.
The senior official described that meeting, held in a sitting room off the villa conference hall where the main talks were held, as "direct and businesslike." The official said Mr. Burns had stressed U.S. concerns over the Qom site and other questions regarding Iran's nuclear program it has yet to answer fully to the IAEA, as well as human rights issue.
(More here.)
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