Iranian official: Tehran’s agreement to transfer its enriched uranium stockpile outside the country in exchange for a clear agreement

Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said that his country is open to the possibility of transferring its enriched uranium stockpile abroad if an agreement is reached.

In an interview with Al Monitor website, Thursday, Iravani affirmed his country’s determination to exercise its rights under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He pointed out that every state party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has the right to conduct studies, produce and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

He stressed their determination to maintain their nuclear energy production capacity within the country, and that this does not mean they are closed to regional cooperation.

He stated that the formation of a nuclear union based on technical and commercial cooperation, established by several countries to work together in the nuclear field, could also be one of the aforementioned cooperation options.

He explained that this union doesn’t replace Iran’s national nuclear program, but rather provides its services as a complementary initiative.

When asked about the possibility of forgoing uranium enrichment for a regional nuclear union on its territory, the Iranian official replied that they don’t oppose this in principle, but they will evaluate this possibility based on the details of the proposals they receive.

He added, “If a new agreement is reached, we are prepared to transfer our stocks of 20 and 60% enriched uranium to another country and take them out of Iran in exchange for semi-refined uranium ore (yellowcake)”.

He explained that an alternative would also be to store enriched uranium in Iran under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He stressed that this possibility depends on the content of the negotiations and the terms of the final agreement, and that it isn’t a red line for Iran.