World Iran considers 'new' nuclear proposal from Russia, U.S., France

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Iran considers 'new' nuclear proposal from Russia, U.S., France
Iran considers 'new' nuclear proposal from Russia, U.S., France
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15:4715/02/2010

Iran's top nuclear official said on Monday the Islamic Republic was considering a new offer from Russia, the United States and France on nuclear fuel enrichment, the ILNA news agency reported.

"Different countries have contacted Iran, and we are reviewing their offers," Ali Akbar Salehi, who heads Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, told ILNA, referring to the three members of the six world powers negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program.

However, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero denied that any new proposal had been made, at least on the part of France.

"Mr Salehi should know that the only proposal was that presented last October by the IAEA, which has not so far received any satisfactory response," AFP quoted Valero as saying.

Under a plan drawn up last October by the UN nuclear watchdog and approved by the Iran Six, the Islamic Republic was to ship out its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment and subsequently send it to France where it would be made into fuel rods.

Tehran stalled and then rejected the plan, suggesting it could consider a simultaneous swap of its low-enriched uranium for 20%-enriched uranium, but that the exchange should be simultaneous and would have to take place on its own territory.

Iran started the production of 20% enriched uranium last Tuesday in the presence of the head of Iran's nuclear agency and IAEA officials.

Salehi said Tehran would only halt 20% uranium enrichment, which he said last week was going "very well," if the Iran Six countries - which also include China, Britain and Germany - agree to Iran's terms for providing it with enriched uranium for its Tehran reactor.

"Iran will halt its enrichment only if these countries accept Iran's conditions on a nuclear swap," he said.

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