Iran Would Eliminate Stock of Some of Its Enriched Uranium Under Deal

By STEVEN ERLANGER

Under the proposed six-month deal that six major powers are negotiating with Iran in Geneva, Iran would eliminate its current stock of uranium enriched to 20 percent by diluting it or turning it into fuel rods or oxide powder, forms that are unusable for weapons, senior Western officials said Friday. Iran would be allowed to continue to enrich uranium at much lower levels, to 3.5 percent, the officials said, but would also agree to cap its current stockpile of such uranium, by eliminating, diluting or transforming into fuel as much 3.5 percent uranium as it produces over the six months. The officials spoke about the deal on the condition of anonymity because the negotiations had not been completed. The rationale for such a deal, the officials said, is to satisfy Iran’s refusal to suspend all enrichment — a concession that its negotiators could not sell domestically, even for six months. But in exchange, Iran would agree to cap its stockpile, while eliminating its current supply of the more highly enriched uranium, which is much closer to bomb grade and has caused anxiety among Western nations, Israel and the Arab gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia. Iran has refused to export any of its enriched uranium to be turned into fuel, as the Western negotiators — the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and Germany — had first proposed in years of negotiations. Israel and Saudi Arabia have expressed concern that if Iran produced only oxide powder from the 20 percent enriched uranium, and not fuel rods or plates, the oxide could be reconverted into 20 percent enriched uranium. But the Western officials say that such a reversal is difficult, and that Iran does not now seem to have the ability. The concern around the 20 percent purity level is that Iran could, if it chose, quickly turn that into bomb-grade material, which means it could more quickly “break out” to create a nuclear weapon before the West could detect it or react to stop it. Iran denies any intention of building a nuclear weapon. Western officials said Iran was also being asked to halt construction, for six months, on the Arak heavy-water reactor. The reactor, when finished and fueled, could produce plutonium, another route to a nuclear weapon. Iran would also agree not to install any more of its faster, second-generation centrifuges, the machines used to enrich uranium, and would not operate the 1,000 or so of these centrifuges already installed but not yet in use. Iran would also agree to more intrusive inspections, to ensure the deal is kept. If Iran agrees, the combination of concessions would give breathing space for a longer negotiation on a more permanent agreement. The deal also is intended to convince Iran that if the West detects evidence of an effort at a nuclear breakout, the Western nations would have time to take decisive preventive action — potentially military action. In return, Iran would receive what the Western officials said was about $3.6 billion in oil income, which has been frozen abroad, released in portions over six months. Iran would also get relief on sanctions currently on auto parts and kits for reassembly, on gold and precious metals, on commercial aircraft parts and repairs and on petrochemicals. Sanctions on oil sales and financial transactions would remain in force. The officials estimated that the sanction relief over the six months would represent between one-fifth and one-sixth of what Iran is already losing because of existing sanctions. Iran is estimated to be losing $25 billion to $30 billion every six months, depending on the price of oil, from the oil sanctions alone. The deal also envisages establishing a so-called green channel for Iran to buy monitored humanitarian goods and medicines through selected banks, which have been afraid to handle any Iranian transactions for fear of violating existing sanctions.