Iran pushes for exemption in nuclear agreement

IRAN insisted yesterday it had a right to exempt some equipment from an agreement with the EU committing it to freeze all parts of a programme that can make nuclear weapons-grade uranium.

It was a move that diplomats said threatened to scuttle the deal.

Mohamed ElBaradei, the chief UN nuclear watchdog, revealed Iran’s continued refusal to include some centrifuges in the agreement - which the EU says mandates a suspension of all activities related to uranium enrichment.