Brazil, Turkey had key role in N-deal

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast says Brazil and Turkey have played a “key role” in the recent breakthrough in a nuclear fuel swap deal.

On Monday, Iran agreed to a draft proposal whereby the country will send some 1200 kg of its 3.5-percent enriched uranium over to Turkey in exchange for 120 kg of 20- percent enriched uranium.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV only an hour after the meeting proved to be a success, Mehmanparast said Iran had intensified negotiations with Brazil and Turkey in the past few days in order to revive a draft proposal, which was initially dismissed by Tehran due to a lack of enough guarantees.

Mehmanparast said efforts by the two countries to mediate in the standoff have given Iran “the guarantees it needs” to proceed with the shipment of its low-enriched uranium.

He said that Iran will officially notify the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the details of the deal “within the coming week”.

The spokesman said that the recent breakthrough shows “Iran has always intended to enrich uranium for peaceful scientific purposes, not the development of nuclear weapons”.

Mehmanparast also hoped that the deal would address concerns of some countries and help them change their “confrontational approach”.

The Iranian official, however, warned that if Western countries step out of line and violate Tehran’s trust in the course of the swap, the fuel will be immediately returned to the country.