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Iran mulls uranium exchange

08 May 2010 19:30 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Iran reconsiders compromise in light of new sanctions proposal, APA reports quoting â€œThe Jerusalem Postâ€.
In an effort to stave off mounting pressure on its nuclear program, Iran announced Saturday it was positively considering proposals made by Brazil and Turkey on an uranium exchange scheme for civilian nuclear use, Army Radio reported.

In such a compromise, Iran’s low-level enriched uranium would be traded for nuclear fuel rods enriched abroad to levels enabling it to pursue civilian nuclear development only.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast reportedly said that "new formulas have been proposed to the [nuclear] fuel exchange, and I believe we can reach agreement over them."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad agreed earlier this week to Brazilian mediation on the issue.

Iranian leaders previously rejected such proposals, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying that the West could not be trusted.

The Iranian move comes as the G5+1 nations prepare to submit a new proposal for sanctions on Iran to the UN Security Council next week, reported to be a diluted version of the measures Israel wants.