Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Jun. 02 Iran rejected on Friday conditions set out by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to pave the way for direct dialogue between Tehran and Washington, and hinted it may carry out uranium enrichment to close to 20 percent. Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, Jun. 02 Iran rejected on Friday conditions set out by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to pave the way for direct dialogue between Tehran and Washington, and hinted it may carry out uranium enrichment to close to 20 percent.
Iran has not asked the United States to enter nuclear negotiations, and if such negotiations have conditions Iran will not abandon its legitimate right. Therefore, it is almost impossible that the condition which the U.S. has laid out for the start of negotiations be accepted, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Mohammad Saeedi said. His comments were carried by the state new news agency ISNA.
Saeedi said that it was incorrect to place a 3.5, 5, or 10 percent cap on Irans level of uranium enrichment. Fuel for lightwater reactors needs uranium enriched to even 19.9 percent, therefore these remarks that Iran should accept a 10 percent cap on its enrichment cannot be correct, he said.
Rice announced earlier this week that Washington was willing to join its European partners on the negotiations table with Iran if Tehran verifiably freezes its uranium enrichment activities.
