Iran Says No reason to Cede on 20% Enriched Uranium

The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Tehran has “no reason” to suspend its enrichment of uranium to 20 percent — one of the key demands of world powers engaging Iran in talks.

“We have no reason to cede on 20 percent, because we produce only as much of the 20 percent fuel as we need. No more, no less,” Fereydoon Abbasi Davani was quoted as saying late Saturday by the ISNA and Mehr news agencies.

Iran and the six world powers (Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States) were engaged in nuclear talks on Wednesday and Thursday in Baghdad.

Those talks neared collapse when the world powers, known as the P5+1, demanded Iran give up that activity and its stockpile in exchange for some inducements such as aircraft parts for its dilapidated commercial fleet, AFP said.

Iran, which is suffering under Western sanctions, said the inducements were far too little and countered with a demand that the powers declare that it has a right to enrich uranium.

With that impasse, the talks teetered on failure and were saved only by last-minute wrangling that agreed to give negotiations another shot in Moscow on June 18-19.

Abbasi Davani was quoted as saying that Iran had now joined the small group of countries “that can produce fuel for others.” He added: “It is better that others engage us about providing (them) with fuel, not that they (the West) demand we shut down our fuel production.”

Iran’s Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asghar Soltanieh said Amano’s new report proves peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities moments after the IAEA’s Director General Yukiya Amano confirmed that there has been no diversion in Iran’s nuclear programs.

“IAEA report showed Tehran’s progress in nuclear technology including enrichment, as well as its complete cooperation with the agency. The 11 page report which includes reports on inspection of 16 nuclear centers and 10 secondary sites proves the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities.” Soltanieh said

“Iran has produced 6,197 kilograms of 5 percent enriched uranium and 145.6 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium under the IAEA supervision,” he added.