Iran to deliver IAEA response Monday

Iran will deliver its response to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) questions on nuclear fuel swap on Monday, says the Iranian foreign minister.

The announcement came after a meeting between the foreign ministers of Iran, Turkey and Brazil in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The meeting was the first gathering between the three countries since the UN Security Council issued the 1929 resolution against Iran on June 9 over its nuclear program.

Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters that Tehran would on Monday hand to the IAEA its response to questions raised by the Vienna group — the US, Russia, France and the IAEA — on the May 17 Tehran declaration.

“Tomorrow this… letter will be conveyed to the IAEA in Vienna and then we can immediately start negotiations for the details of exchanging of the fuel,” he said.

“All the details on how that exchange should take place will come out through the discussions and talks in Vienna.”

Mottaki further said Iran would like both Turkey and Brazil to take part in the talks, but said it was not a condition.

“The Vienna group talks with Iran either with the presence of Turkey and Brazil or not,” he said.

Earlier Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the letter would announce Tehran’s readiness for starting “technical negotiations” with the Vienna group. He also said Turkey and Brazil were ready to join the talks only if they were invited by all the parties concerned.

Based on the Tehran declaration, Iran agreed to exchange 1,200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium on Turkish soil with fuel for its research reactor.

The US and its European allies snubbed the declaration and used their influence on the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran.

Both Ankara and Brasilia condemned the new sanctions, saying it was a major setback for progress on resolving the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.

The Islamic Republic has announced that the Tehran declaration would form the framework of any future nuclear talks.