Nuclear fuel swap must happen in Iran

An advisor to the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution says Tehran cannot trust a Western offer on exchanging its nuclear fuel outside the country.

Ali Akbar Velayati, a foreign policy advisor of Leader of the Islamic Ummah and Opressed People Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, said on Friday that the West has a record of breaking its promises to Iran.

He noted that it would be naïve to believe they would keep their promise to implement the deal to exchange fuel outside Iranian territory.

Velayati stated that Iran is ready to exchange its 5 to 5.3 percent enriched uranium for 20 percent enriched uranium, but the swap must take place inside the country.

The former foreign minister added that the West’s insistence on the matter is highly suspicious since it would be illogical to conduct the fuel swap outside of Iranian territory.

The swap deal has been proposed to provide fuel for the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for medical treatment.