TEHRAN, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A senior member of Iranian parliament said Saturday that Iran will not exchange its own enriched uranium for fuel to supply a research reactor in Tehran, local ISNA news agency reported.
"Giving the 3.5 percent enriched uranium in order to receive 20 percent enriched fuel for Tehran's research reactor whether gradually or all at once is called off," Alaeddin Boroujerdi, head of the Parliament's national security and foreign policy commission, was quoted as saying.
He insisted that Iran is not to give any part of its 1,200 kilograms of low-level enriched uranium to receive fuel for the reactor in Tehran.
Boroujerdi also noted that Iran and some fuel supplier countries must find a new way to provide the fuel, saying presently Iran's permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Soltanieh "is in talks to find an approach for the issue."
Commenting on remarks by some Western officials that Iran must respond to the IAEA-brokered draft deal regarding purchase of fuel in two days, Boroujerdi said, "the West cannot set a deadline and we are not committed to their remarks."
The draft agreement, presented by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei, calls for shipping most of Iran's existing low-grade enriched uranium to Russia and France, where it would be processed into fuel rods with a purity of 20 percent.
The United States, Russia and France have approved the draft deal, but Iran said it wanted amendments and more talks on the issue.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Friday that Iran is preparing to give the IAEA more details of its response to proposals from the major powers for the supply of nuclear fuel, local daily Tehran Times reported Saturday.
"We have three options -- enrich the fuel ourselves, buy it directly or exchange our uranium for fuel, they have to choose from these options," Mottaki was quoted as saying.
"Given the need of Iran to have the fuel, my view is that they will accept another round of discussions," he added.
Iran urged to accept UN draft deal on nuclear issue
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States and Germany said Thursday that their patience to Iran "is not endless," urging Tehran to accept a UN-backed draft deal over its nuclear program.
"This is a pivotal moment for Iran, and we urge Iran to accept the agreement as proposed," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after meeting with her German counterpart Guido Westerwelle. Full story
Israeli PM accuses Iran of war crimes
JERUSALEM, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday cited his country's seizure of a weapons-carrying cargo ship as evidence that Iran is committing war crimes by supplying the Lebanese Hezbollah movement with weapons intended to "kill as many civilians as possible."
Israeli security forces unloaded several hundred tons of a variety of weapons and ammunition from the vessel after their commandos intercepted it late Tuesday night in the Mediterranean Sea and escorted it to Israel for further inspection, local daily Ha'aretz reported. Full story
Iran denounces Merkel's comments on Iran nuke program
TEHRAN, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mihmanparast on Thursday denounced German Chancellor Angela Merkel for saying nuclear Iran is "not acceptable," the official IRNA news agency reported.
Mihmanparast said what the German chancellor said at the U.S. Congress about Iran's nuclear program "was against the interests of the German people," the report said. Full story
Iranian FM says Iran's nuke program legitimate
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that Iran's nuclear program is moving in a legitimate direction, bringing no problem to Iran.
Malaysia supported the right of the member states of NPT and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to enjoy their rights for nuclear energy based on the charter as well as rules and regulations, he told reporters here after the 12th Session of the Eight Developing Islamic Countries (D8) Council of Ministers ended here. Full story
Iran says to attend Geneva nuke talks with "good will"
TEHRAN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Wednesday the Islamic Republic will attend the upcoming negotiation in Geneva on Iran's nuclear program with a "positive view and good will."
"Our look to these talks is strategic, long-term and based on cooperation," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Jalili as saying. Full story
