Iran said it had agreed to swap 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium
for higher-enriched nuclear fuel, to be used in a medical research
reactor. The exchange would take place in Turkey, Foreign Ministry
spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said, reports Reuters.
Iran, which rejects Western accusations it is seeking to develop
nuclear bombs, had earlier insisted such a swap must take place on its
territory.
Tehran agreed in principle to the deal in October but then demanded
changes such as a simultaneous swap on Iranian soil, conditions other
parties in the deal said were unacceptable.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Turkey would be
obliged to return Iran's LEU "immediately and unconditionally" if
Monday's agreement between Iran, Brazil and Turkey was not
implemented.
"Based on the agreement signed this morning, if the swap does not take
place, then Turkey will be obliged to send back our dispatched uranium
immediately and unconditionally," Mottaki said.
Trita Parsi, director of Washington-based National Iranian American
Council, said a potential breakthrough had been made in the
long-running dispute, saying Turkey and Brazil had succeeded in
filling a "trust gap."
"But will the deal be satisfactory to the U.S.? With the details
remaining unknown, it's impossible to speculate," Parsi said.
