Iran may scrap fuel exchange talks with IAEA

If nuclear rods are put into the nuclear reactor in Tehran, the
negotiations on nuclear fuel exchange will be concluded, the Iranian
representative to IAEA Ali Askar Soltaniye said, Trend cites IRNA.

The head of the Iranian nuclear agency Ali Akbar said at the end of
last week that the nuclear facility in Esfahan may produce iron rods
nuclear reactors.

A plant was introduced in October 2009, with the mediation of IAEA, to
export low-enriched uranium (3.5%) to Russia for enrichment to 20% and
then to France for processing the fuel for the Tehran medical reactor.
Tehran said that it is ready to purchase higher enriched uranium or
exchange its stockpiles if the process will be carried out on the
territory of Iran.

In May 2010, Iran, Turkey and Brazil agreed to exchange uranium. The
sides signed a project on exchanging low-enriched uranium for highly
enriched (up to 20%) for the research reactor in Tehran. The exchange
was to take place in Turkey.