Iran floats new offer ahead of nuclear talks

Tehran Iran's nuclear chief signalled Tehran's envoys may bring a compromise offer to the talks this week with world powers: Promising to eventually stop producing its most highly enriched uranium, while not totally abandoning its ability to make nuclear fuel.

The proposal outlined late on Sunday seeks to directly address one of the potential main issues in the talks scheduled to begin on Friday between Iran and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany.

The US and others have raised serious concerns about Iran's production and stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 per cent, which could be turned into weapons-grade strength in a matter of months.

But the proposal described by Iran's nuclear chief, Fereidoun Abbasi, may not go far enough to satisfy the West because it would leave the higher enriched uranium still in Tehran's hands rather than transferred outside the country.

Abbasi said Tehran could stop its production of 20 per cent enriched uranium needed for a research reactor, and continue enriching uranium to lower levels for power generation.

This could take place once Iran has stockpiled enough of the 20 per cent enriched uranium, Abbasi told state TV. The 20 per cent enriched material can be used for medical research and treatments.

The enrichment issue lies at the core of the dispute between Iran and the West, which fears Tehran is seeking an atomic weapon — a charge the country denies, insisting its uranium programme is for peaceful purposes only.

‘Step closer'

Uranium has to be enriched to more than 90 per cent to be used for a nuclear weapon, but with Iran enriching uranium to 20 per cent levels, there are concerns it has come a step closer to nuclear weapons capability.

Abbasi said production of uranium enriched up to 20 per cent is not part of the nation's long-term programme — beyond amounts needed for its research reactor in Tehran — and insisted that Iran "doesn't need" to enrich beyond the 20 per cent levels.

"The job is being carried out based on need," he said. "When the need is met, we will decrease production and it is even possible to completely reverse to only 3.5 per cent" enrichment levels. It was not immediately clear whether Abbasi's comments reflect what will be Tehran's official stance when the negotiations begin in Istanbul more than 14 months after the last round collapsed.

Iran insists it has full rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty to enrich uranium to create nuclear fuel and says it only seeks enrichment levels to power reactors.