Iran has surprised the West again and agreed to a plan, announced by Brazil, to ship its nuclear reactors’ low-grade uranium to its new ally Turkey, which in return will give Tehran fuel rods of medium-enriched uranium for a "medical research reactor."
The shipment of the low-grade uranium ostensibly would prevent the possibility that Iran could use the material to build a nuclear weapon. However, Germany and Britain remain unimpressed. Iran would continue to be able to produce high-grade uranium, and Turkey would return the low-grade uranium if it does not ship fuel rods within a year.
No announcement was made concerning what Turkey would do with the low-grade uranium, which would be stored under supervision of United Nations and Iranian authorities.
Western countries were diplomatically polite but unimpressed. “Iran must take the steps necessary to assure the international community that its nuclear program is intended exclusively for peaceful purposes," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stated.
Recently-elected Prime Minister David Cameron’ spokesman Steve Field said, "Our position on Iran is unchanged at the present time. Iran has an obligation to reassure the international community, and until it does so we will continue to work with our international partners on a sanctions resolution in the United Nations Security Council."
German government officials also questioned the agreement by which, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, “Enrichment of uranium to 20 percent will continue inside Iran."
Russia, which has opposed harsh sanctions, also expressed skepticism. "One question is: will Iran itself enrich uranium? As far as I understand from officials of that state, such work will be continued. In this case, of course, those concerns that the international community had before could remain," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said.
The new deal, announced after meetings between Iran, Brazil and Turkey, meets most of the terms of an arrangement that Iran originally accepted, with one important exception—the stipulation that Turkey would return the low-grade uranium if it does not supply fuel rods within a year.
Turkey, which rapidly has embraced Iran while dropping its former friendly relations with Israel, announced that the deal means “there is no ground left for more sanctions or pressure.”
Western officials commented that the arrangement does not change assumptions that Iran’s enriching uranium would give it the opportunity at any time to begin building a nuclear weapon.
The deal gives Iran a tool to claim diplomatic victory and accuse the West of being stubborn if it does not accept the arrangement.
