Somewhat belatedly, I have come into possession o f GOV/INF/2010/5, which contains Iran’s answer to the proposal to swap its stockpile of low enriched uranium for fuel assemblies for the Tehran Research Reactor.
Here is the key graf:
…the Islamic Republic of Iran is still seeking to purchase the required fuel in cash. However, if the Agency is not able to fulfill its duty under Article 3, then Iran is ready to exchange the TRR required fuel assemblies with the LEU material produced at Natanz, simultaneously in one package or several packages in the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Thanks to those of you who sent it along.
Here we go again? I was warned about this coming a couple of days ago by someone in Japan but I just didn’t believe it…
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3853823,00.html
Thanks for the info. The wording of “…in one package” is the key and really shows that the two sides are pretty close. It would be really a loss not to close the deal at this time. If cool heads prevail and the deal is done, either in Iran or Turkey, IRI most likely will stop enriching to 19.9%. I think the outcome might be finalized during or shortly after the BOG meeting next week. All depends if Amano dials down the rhetoric a bit. His first report was not well received by IRI, since he did not include recurring El Baradei’s criticism of some of the member countries for not sharing the redacted intelligence info with IRI.
It seems to me that, instead of playing political games with regard to this offer, the US would gain more by negotiating an exchange that included the kind of assaying that could assure us that the exchange is legitimate.
Aside from setting a much more positive political tone, there must be some technical benefit to be able to analyze, at whatever venue we wish, the 3.5% enriched material that we would thereby obtain.
wow… Soltanieh’s signature is the bomb.
Dr. P.
Soltanieh’s signature is the letter S in Farsi that is exagerated and followed by him name in English.
Nick – yes I agree, although a deal will depend on there being a return to consensus amongst the factions in the Iranian elite. The nature of this letter suggests that on the nuclear issue that may have been achieved.
Secondly, it seems this has proven to be an excellent opportunity for the Iranians to prove they can enrich to 20%. Now that the world knows it, they can pack up their toys and do the exchange.
Suggestions from the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020903848.html) indicate the Administration may help Iran purchase the uranium.
Why wasn’t this pursued sooner if both sides are open to it?
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=119540§ionid=351020104
Tehran says it is ready to hand over the construction of five nuclear power plants to Toyoko, if Japan is truly determined to shoulder the undertaking.
“Japan’s participation and involvement in the construction of Iran’s power plants will serve the interests of Japanese state and private companies. Iran’s suggests that Japan start its job from a particular point, by building a nuclear power plant inside the country,” visiting Head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran’s Majlis, Allaeddin Boroujerdi, remarked in Tokyo on Thursday.
Andrew: Iran media can say what it wants. But the fact is that Japanese industry has never built a nuclear power plant outside of Japan. They were bested by Korea in UAE. There are all kinds of fussy nonproliferation rules set by the Japanese MFA on nuclear commerce with states without perfect NPT credentials. I can’t believe that Japanese industry is about to build power reactors in Iran. Japan is a very risk averse place. Iran is not the place that MHI, Hitachi, IHI, or Toshiba will build Japan’s first foreign nuclear power plant. ROK will build in UAE. That may be a comparatively safe investment.
this should stir the pot a little –
N. Korea provided raw uranium to Syria in 2007: sources
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article…icleid/3903101
report says 45 tons of uranium yellowcake secretly moved to Iran last summer from Syria.
More raising the point that there are a number of serious alternative options, or at least a perception of a number of serious alternative options, which hasn’t successfully been ruled out and that this is probably why China, Brazil, Turkey, etc. believe they can credibly oppose sanctions.
Why not take up Iran’s offer of operating Iran’s enrichment facility as a multinational venture? Because the entire nuclear issue is an excuse and a manufactured crisis that hides another agenda by the US, that’s why.