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Iran, 3 powers have till Fri. to OK nuke deal

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-22 10:22

Iran's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ambassador Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh gestures after briefing the media after a meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue in Vienna with EU, Russian and US diplomats at Vienna's UN headquarters October 21, 2009. [Agencies]

VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog presented on Wednesday a draft deal to Iran and three world powers for approval within two days to reduce Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium, seen by the West as a nuclear weapons risk.

Iran declined to say if it would endorse the plan, which Western diplomats said would require Tehran to send 1.2 tonnes of its known 1.5-tonne reserve of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France by the end of the year. The material would be converted into fuel for a nuclear medicine facility in Tehran.

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The Islamic Republic's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency hinted that his government may seek amendments.

Western diplomats suggested this could jeopardise the deal if they overstepped "red lines" set to create confidence that Tehran is not pursuing a nuclear weapons option. However, an outright rejection seemed less likely as this could revive Western pressure for harsher UN sanctions on Iran.

"We have to thoroughly study this text and ... come back and reflect our opinion and suggestions or comments in order to have an amicable solution at the end of the day," Iranian Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh told reporters."We welcome this event; we are fully cooperating."

Three days of talks in Vienna failed to finalise the deal as the IAEA and the three powers -- France, Russia and the United States -- had wanted. Western diplomats said this was because Iran raised many questions about fundamental aspects of the plan which it had already agreed to in principle.

Iran has resorted to time-buying manoeuvres in the past, including withholding final answers to offers in talks, while seeking to accelerate its enrichment programme.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei announced the draft deal after the Vienna talks. "I have circulated a draft agreement that in my judgment reflects a balanced approach to how to move forward. The deadline for the parties to give, I hope, an affirmative action is Friday," he told reporters.

Deal Limited Without Enrichment Halt

"I cross my fingers that by Friday we have an OK by all the parties concerned," he said, betraying widespread uncertainty over whether Iran would make a concrete commitment.

The draft plan would reduce the high risk cited by the West of Iran, under suspicion over nuclear secrecy and restrictions on UN inspections, using accumulated LEU for refinement to the high level of purity suitable for a nuclear warhead.

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