Iran to Consider Compromise Offered by Russia on Uranium

Iran said Sunday that it would consider a proposal to move the Islamic Republic’s uranium enrichment to Russia, renewing hope of averting confrontation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, which has voted to start a process that could lead to sanctions.

“At the moment there’s only one diplomatic door left open, and it’s open a crack,” said Rose Gottemoeller, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. “So I think this set of talks on Monday is very important for the future of the diplomatic approach.”

Enrichment is a key process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or material for a warhead.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said Sunday that Tehran would consider the Russian proposal on uranium enrichment if certain provisions were met.

“The partners in the plan, the duration of the project, location of enrichment and consensus of all related parties would be significant to Iran,” Mottaki said, according to the state news agency IRNA.

Mottaki then headed to Brussels, where he was to meet with European officials.

An Iranian delegation headed by Ali Hosseinitash, deputy secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was headed to Moscow for the talks there ahead of a March 6 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which could start proceedings leading to U.N. Security Council sanctions.

International concerns over Iran escalated when Tehran officially ended a voluntary freeze on enrichment and related activities last month and warned it would abandon an agreement allowing snap IAEA inspections after the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency decided this month to report Tehran to the Security Council.