Israel Matzav

Surprise! Iran rejects 'tougher' P 5+1 conditions

You will recall that I reported that the Obama administration was attempting to revise a 'nuclear exchange' deal with Iran under conditions that would have been 'tougher' than those proposed a year ago. You will also recall that the Iranians responded by saying that they would not negotiate over their nuclear capabilities at their upcoming meeting (if any) with the P 5+1. Now, just in case the Obami didn't get it yet, Ahmadinejad has announced that his country rejects the new, 'tougher' P 5+1 conditions.

Iran's envoy to the U.N. nuclear agency dismissed on Tuesday a U.S. suggestion that Tehran should agree to tougher conditions than those it rejected last year for a possible nuclear fuel swap.

Western diplomats say economic sanctions are beginning to have an impact on Iran, and it may be possible to revive the fuel exchange plan if it also accepts broader talks they hope will lead to Tehran agreeing to curb its enrichment drive.

They have made clear any new deal must be updated to take into account Iran's increased holdings of low-enriched uranium (LEU) material which can be used to build bombs if refined much further, and its work to enrich to higher levels since February.

"I'm afraid there is no logic for these kind of statements," Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh told Reuters when asked about a U.S. media report that Iran would be required to part with some two metric tons of its uranium stockpile under a revised proposal.

...

Soltanieh, Iran's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reiterated that Tehran would be ready to resume talks on the fuel swap plan but declined to comment on any broader negotiations with the six powers.

However, he said Iran only needed 120 kg of uranium enriched to 20 percent as fuel for the Tehran reactor producing medical isotopes and this was the equivalent of 1,200 kg of LEU.

"Therefore when we don't need more fuel it is ridiculous to ask to have more (LEU) to send out," Soltanieh said.

"This (demand) could only be interpreted as sort of an excuse not to come to the negotiating table," he added.

On Tuesday, outgoing chief of IDF intelligence Amos Yadlin told the Knesset that Iran already has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon (more on that later).

What could go wrong?

Labels: enriched uranium, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, nuclear, P 5+1

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:16 AM