Excerpts from previous status reports, by subject
Removed on January 3, 2006
The proposal to move uranium enrichment to Russia
As Iran works to open divisions among IAEA members, the West has sought
to maintain a united front on how to deal with Iran’s nuclear
ambitions. The proposal made by Russia, which was made to Iran in December
2005, is a step in that
direction. The compromise
proposal
has been
endorsed by the United States, along with Britain, France and Germany.
It was discussed at a high-level meeting in London on November 18,
which included U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and senior
officials from Britain, France and Germany, as well as from Russia,
China, South Africa and Brazil. If Iran accepts the deal, it would
be allowed to prepare uranium for enrichment—which is already
taking place at its conversion plant at Isfahan—but the enrichment
itself would be moved to Russia. After enrichment, Russia would ship
the uranium back to Iran, where it could be used as reactor fuel and
then collected again after use. Iran would reportedly be granted a
35 percent financial stake in the enrichment operation in Russia. The
deal would prevent Iran from producing weapon-grade uranium—assuming
Iran does not have and unknown enrichment plant somewhere. Iran initially
rejecting the proposal, then appeared willing to discuss it. On January
1, 2006, Iran's cheif nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani officially rejected
the offer.