TEHRAN - Iran's Residing Representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asqar Soltaniyeh announced that the agency has set no deadline for Iran to respond to a draft agreement on the purchase of nuclear fuel for its research reactor in Tehran.

 

"There was no deadline. (IAEA Chief Mohamed) ElBaradei just asked the participating countries to announce their decision on the draft by Friday. It was just a request," Soltaniyeh reiterated on Saturday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday confirmed that Iran has asked for more time to consider an IAEA draft on enrichment of uranium for a Tehran reactor.

"(Iran is) considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response," the IAEA said in a statement issued on Friday.

"The Director General (Mohamed ElBaradei) hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation," the statement added.

The deal is expected to supply uranium enriched up to 20 percent for the Tehran reactor which provides over 200 hospitals across the country with medical isotopes for treating cancer.

The reactor is currently using enriched uranium of up to 20 percent, but Tehran is close to running out of the fuel it requires.

Iran's uranium enrichment facility in the central city of Natanz only enriches uranium between 3.5 and 5 percent for use in nuclear power generation plants.

Meantime, the US, Russia and France announced that they approved an IAEA draft on a third-party uranium enrichment for a Tehran reactor.
 

Source: FNA

October 25, 09