Israel Matzav

Iran close to deal to import 1350 tons of enriched uranium

The Associated Press reports that Iran is on the verge of completing a deal to import 1350 tons of enriched uranium from Kazakhstan.

Such a purified uranium ore deal would be significant because Tehran appears to be running out of the material, which it needs to feed its uranium enrichment program.

A summary of the report obtained by the Associated Press on Tuesday said the deal could be completed within weeks. It said Tehran was willing to pay $450 million, or close to 315 million euros, for the shipment.

The report was drawn up by a member nation of the International Atomic energy agency and provided to the AP on condition that the country not be identified because of the confidential nature of the information.

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A senior UN official said the agency was aware of the intelligence report's assessment but could not yet draw conclusions. He demanded anonymity for discussing confidential information.

A Western diplomat from a member of the IAEA's 35-nation board said the report was causing concern among countries that have seen it and generating intelligence chatter. The diplomat also requested anonymity for discussing intelligence information.

The price is high because of the secret nature of the deal and due to Iran's commitment to keep secret the elements supplying the material, said the summary.

An official of the country that drew up the report said elements referred to state employees acting on their own without approval of the Kazakh government.

After-hours calls put in to offices of Kazatomprom, the Kazak state uranium company, in Kazakhstan and Moscow, were not answered Tuesday. Iranian nuclear officials also did not pick up their telephones.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not return President Obumbler's courtesy calls to ask about this report and to invite Ahmadinejad to dinner, although his foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, said

"We can no longer wait and if they do not agree with the purchase or exchange, then we will do the 20 percent enrichment process by ourselves," Mottaki said.

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:17 AM