Iran nuclear chief signals possible willingness to halt production of high-enriched uranium

Fereidoun Abbasi Davani, Iran's Vice President and Head of Atomic Energy Organization speaks during a news conference at the general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, at the International Center in Vienna, Austria, Monday, Sept. 19, 2011. / AP

(AP) TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's nuclear chief signaled 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 Sunday seeks to directly address one of the potential main issues in the talks scheduled to begin Friday between Iran and the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany.

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

Senior Iran lawmaker nixes Turkey for nuke talks
Iran lawmaker balks at nuke talks in Turkey
Iran proposes Iraq, China as nuke talks venue

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 percent 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 percent enriched uranium, Abbasi told state TV. The 20 percent enriched material can be used for medical research and treatments.

In depth

Iran's nuclear sites »

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 program is for peaceful purposes only.

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

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

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted on the Iranian parliament's website on Monday as saying he hopes for some progress in the upcoming talks but warned Iran would not accept any preconditions.

"We will honestly try to have the two sides conclude with a win-win situation in which Iran achieves its rights while removing concerns of five-plus-one group," he said. "But imposing any conditions before the talks would be meaningless."

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, but the U.S. and others worry that the same process can be used to make weapons-grade material.

Ahead of Istanbul, there are signs Tehran is confident it may have beaten back the toughest Western demands for a complete halt to uranium enrichment and that some bargaining room has now been opened for new proposals.

Abbasi's remarks follow a bravado last week from Iranian lawmaker Gholam Reza Mesbahi Moghadam, who claimed Tehran has the know-how and the capability to produce a nuclear weapon but would never do so.

Moghadam also said that Iran has the means to produce 90-plus percent enrichment, though he did not elaborate.

After a protracted flap over the venue for the talks, Iranian state TV reported Sunday that both sides had agreed on Istanbul. It said a second round would be held in Baghdad but that its timing would be decided during the meeting in Turkey.

[amacd385]

The media should stop using the term "the West" when referring to the portion of the world that wants to control what any other countries are allowed to do, or the body of "community of nations" that will exert sanctions if other countries will not behave as "the West" expects.

Instead the global media portion of the DGE (Disguised Global Empire) should use the term that Thomas Barnett uses in his 2004 Naval War College strategy book, "The Pentagon's New Map" to describe "the West" more accurately --- the "Old Core".

If the global media would just apply this clearer terminology of Barnett (which is also used by the DOD Global Commands) for; the "Old Core", the "GAP" countries (who are pressured by the DGE), and the countries that the Empire is continuing to confront, the "New Core", then reporting would be much easier for media shills like CBS, and the real benefit would be that all readers would be able to understand what's actually going on in the world --- Eg. "The 'Old Core' is putting pressure on one of the "GAP" countries, Iran, not to enrich uranium, for fear that this advanced "GAP" country in the "Crescent of Instability" might join the "New Core" countries [BRIC] that are attempting to deny the "Old Core" full control of the earth.

Just sayin. It would make life both for the reporters and the readers more logical. After all, like the old baseball saying goes, "you can't tell the players without a scorecard".

Thanks in advance for taking my suggestion seriously at CBS,
Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine

[venusvegasvada]

They just don't get it.

[karek40]

I find it more interesting that Turkey is brokering the first round of "peace" talks. Doesn't the bible and the quran predict that a peace maker will come from Turkey (at least for 3 1/2 years).

[dman6015]

I see the Iranians are taking lessons from the North Koreans on nuclear disarmament talks. Promise (lie), promise (lie), promise (lie), then retract everything after the world backs down.