Sanctions will hinder Iran fuel swap

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has warned that any new sanctions against the country would obstruct the path leading to a nuclear fuel swap.

Mottaki, who was speaking to reporters in Brussels, said Wednesday that Iran sees the chance of a new sanctions resolution being passed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as slim.

He warned that sanctions could spoil the atmosphere of cooperation provided by the fuel swap.

“Moving in the direction of a resolution means confronting and opposing the fuel swap,” Mottaki said.

He added that sanctions and the swap could not take place at the same time as sanctions are confrontational in nature while the fuel swap provides an opportunity for cooperation.

Iran, Turkey and Brazil issued a nuclear declaration on May 17 based on which Tehran announced its readiness to send some 1,200 kg of low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for a total of 120 kg of higher enriched uranium.

The declaration came as part of an earlier plan to supply fuel for the Tehran research reactor, which produces medical isotopes for cancer patients.

Despite Iran’s consent to ship out its uranium — a prior demand by the Western side which Iran had rejected due to guarantee concerns — the US announced that the six major powers discussing Iran’s nuclear work had reached an agreement on a strong draft against Iran.

The draft calls on the Islamic Republic to suspend its uranium enrichment activities or face further UNSC sanctions.

Iran rejects the rationale behind imposing sanctions against the country, arguing that its nuclear work is fully monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) it has a right to uranium enrichment.