Draft deal could ease tensions with Iran

THE UN’s atomic watchdog yesterday handed Iran and world powers a draft deal for approval by tomorrow that could dramatically ease tensions over the Islamic republic’s controversial nuclear programme.

The agreement was brokered after crunch talks between Iran, Russia, the United States and France, and has been sent to the capitals for final approval, said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

ElBaradei declined to reveal any details about the draft document, but diplomats said it included demands that Iran ship out most of its stockpile of low-enriched uranium for further processing by another country.

The US, Russia and France had insisted on the point, because it would allay fears that the uranium — which Iran’s hardline rulers have produced in defiance of the United Nations — could be used to build an atomic bomb.

“I have circulated a draft agreement that reflects in my judgment a balanced approach on how to move forward,” ElBaradei told reporters.

“The deadline for parties to give, I hope, affirmative action is Friday.”

“I would cross my fingers that by Friday we should have an OK and an approval by all the parties concerned.”

Russia, France and the US have all been pushing Iran to move forward an agreement — reached in principle in Geneva on October 1 — under which Tehran would ship 1,200kg of its own stockpiled uranium to Russia, and subsequently France, by the end of the year.

But ElBaradei did not reveal whether Iran had agreed to that key point after three days of talks in Vienna. Tehran had previously made it clear that it did not want France to be part of any deal.

Asked whether his proposed agreement involved France, the IAEA replied: “My proposal has France included.”

For his part, the head of the Iranian delegation, IAEA ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh, said: “France had announced their readiness. But of course, as you’ve noticed, the Russians have been responsible for the whole contract.”

That appeared to suggest that, in a face-saving compromise, Russia would be responsible for further enriching the uranium to the 20% levels required by Iran. And it would sub-contract the additional processing to France, so that no direct negotiations between France and Iran would be required.

Soltanieh was silent on exactly where the uranium would come from.

He said only that Iran would be in a position to “get the fuel” for its research reactor which makes isotopes for medical uses such as cancer treatment.

“We are masters of enrichment technology,” Soltanieh said.

“We could produce the fuel for ourselves for this nuclear reactor.

“But we have decided that we will receive the fuel from the potential suppliers willing to do so instead of that, under the auspices of the IAEA.”

The full details of the agreement would be revealed tomorrow, Soltanieh told reporters, describing the outcome of the talks this week as “very positive”.