More pressure on Iran to accept uranium enrichment plan
Iran is getting increasing global pressure to respond positively to the proposal that its uranium go abroad for additional enrichment processing. Britain, France and Russia have called on Iran to respond promptly. And the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Mohamed El Baradei said the deal offered in October was a “fleeting opportunity” to avoid a confrontation. In the meantime, the Iranians have raised “technical and economic considerations”, missing the original response deadline. Under the plan brokered by the IAEA, most of Iran's enriched uranium would be sent to Russia so it could be turned into fuel rods for research use. This was a way for Iran to get the fuel it needs, while guaranteeing it will not be used for nuclear weapons. The draft plan would require Iran to send about 1,200kg, or 70%, of its low-enriched uranium to Russia by the year's end for processing. France would then convert the uranium into fuel rods for use in a reactor in Tehran to make medical isotopes. Read more: BBC
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