News

The IAEA-brokered talks in Vienna came up with a draft proposal that
would take 70 percent of Iran's low-enriched uranium to reduce its
stockpile of material that could be enriched to a higher level, and
possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.

That
uranium would be returned about a year later as refined fuel rods,
which can power reactors but cannot be readily turned into
weapons-grade material. Iran maintains its nuclear program is only for
the peaceful purpose of generating energy.

The Geneva talks grouped the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany around the negotiating table with Iran. Diplomats
from two of those big powers said Tuesday Iran's formal counterproposal
was essentially a rehash of an already publicly floated offer that fell
far short of the six nations' expectations.

In its submission, Iran was offering to exchange enriched uranium only on domestic soil and only simultaneously for research reactor fuel, said the diplomats, who asked for anonymity because their information was confidential.