Possible Breakthrough in Iran-Russia Talks
Our good friend dmac has been bringing to my attention fleet movements and other signs that the U.S. is preparing a missile strike on Iran, and perhaps the Iranians are blinking; in any event, there was some movement today on talks to move Iranian uranium enrichment to Russia:
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said Sunday that his country had agreed in principle to set up a joint uranium enrichment project with Russia, a potentially significant breakthrough in efforts to prevent an international confrontation over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Regarding this joint venture, we have reached a basic agreement,” said Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the country’s nuclear chief, speaking at a press conference with his Russian counterpart in Bushehr, where Russia is helping to build a nuclear power plant. “Talks to complete this package will continue in coming days in Russia.”
Russia’s offer to enrich uranium for Iran on Russian territory, a proposal backed by the United States and the European Union, has been the basis of intense but previously fruitless negotiations between the two countries. If Iran does agree to shift enrichment to Russia, Iran would cede control of a key element in the nuclear fuel cycle and ease suspicions that it could secretly produce uranium suitable for nuclear weapons.
A deal would also head-off punitive action by the U.N. Security Council after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on March 6. Aghazadeh made it clear, however, that there is still no formal agreement and some issues remain outstanding.
“There are different parts that need to be discussed,” he said, according to Russian news agencies. “These are not just related to forming a company, there are other elements. There are political issues and the proposal should be seen as a package.”
He went on to say that Iran has “set a precondition,” which he declined to specify.
I’ll hold off on the celebrating, all the same…let’s see if and when a final agreement is announced just what the terms will be (I’m anxious to hear about that ‘precondition’)…
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