Ready for Talks

Iran wants concrete guarantees about receiving nuclear fuel for its research reactor in Tehran, a senior national security official said Tuesday.
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili made the call in a talk with the press on the sidelines of a police and security meeting in Tehran, IRNA reported.
If the necessary guarantees are not provided, Iran will resort to other options, he said without elaboration.
He added that “Providing nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor is not a political issue and has nothing to do with Iran’s talks with the Group 5+1”.
According to the top nuclear negotiator provision of nuclear fuel “is simply a commercial matter and not even a technical or legal issue…”

Talking Proposals
On the resumption of nuclear talks with the G5+1, Jalili said, “Tehran is ready to talk about its proposed package” presented to the western states last month in Vienna. Iran is willing to continue the talks only “over the subjects discussed in its proposed package.”
Referring to the talks between the two sides in Geneva, he said, “The talks were scheduled to be pursued over the issues discussed in Tehran’s proposed package.”
“They (G5+1), apparently, had some discussions among themselves and are not ready now.
Whenever they are ready to continue the talks on Iran’s proposals (then) we will welcome negotiations about the common concerns mentioned in the package.”

Exchange in Iran
The head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi told IRNA that Tehran is ready to send its low-enriched uranium abroad provided there is simultaneous exchange on its own soil of the nuclear fuel processed by big powers.
He said such a move will ensure that Tehran will receive the fuel required for its research reactor.
“The guarantee sought by the Islamic republic is to have simultaneous exchange of fuel in Iran,” Salehi said.
“We will not accept any imposed conditions nor accept treatment as an exceptional case…”
Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tehran is ready to ship its 3.5 percent low enriched uranium (LEU) but would want a simultaneous exchange on its soil with the 20 percent refined uranium from abroad.

Mechanism
“Iran is not opposed to sending uranium abroad, but is considering how to do that,” he told newsmen.
Tehran wants a “100 percent guarantee” that it would receive the fuel required for its research reactor and “one of the guarantees is a simultaneous exchange of fuel inside the country.”
The UN atomic agency brokered a deal last month under which Iran would send 1,200 kilograms of LEU, or 70 percent of its total stock to Russia and then France for conversion into fuel required for the internationally-supervised Tehran reactor.
Iran has rejected that deal amid stiff opposition from senior officials who oppose sending the LEU in one shipment. They fear the West might renege on its side of the bargain.
Iran has said it accepts the essential elements of the proposal but has demanded modifications to the offer.