Iran Gives West 1-Month 'Ultimatum' for Nuclear Swap Deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has issued an "ultimatum" to the West for accepting a nuclear swap deal. Photo by BGNES

Iran gave Saturday the international community a period of one month within which it should accept a uranium swap deal on Iranian terms.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, has warned in a statement that unless Iran’s conditions were accepted, it was going to produce its own fuel for a nuclear reactor, the Iran state television reported.

Tehran has recently rejected a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to send most of its low-enriched uranium for further processing by Russia and France into fuel for a research reactor.

Iran has then said it was ready for a fuel swap "in several stages," and in late December Mottaki said Iran is open to exchanging uranium in Turkey. The IAEA has ruled out a swap taking place on Iranian territory.

Iran is already under three sets of UN sanctions for refusing to abandon its program of uranium enrichment.

Western powers led by the USA suspect Iran’s proclaimed civilian nuclear program as a clout for acquiring nuclear weapons. The exchange of uranium for nuclear fuel would limit the possibility of the country developing nuclear weapons.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!