Removal of Iran’s enriched uranium to Russia most likely option to reduce stockpile

Baku, Azerbaijan, May 16

By Umid Niayesh - Trend:

An Iranian diplomat earlier said that despite the Islamic Republic has not yet agreed about the removal of “nuclear materials” to Russia, the issue is still open for negotiations.

"It is one of the topics, we should continue our negotiation on it, there is no any final agreement," the diplomat said.

The nuclear materials mentioned in the Iranian diplomat’s comments can include both enriched uranium and the spent fuel of Arak heavy water reactor (IR-40), Behrooz Bayat, a former consultant at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Trend May 16.

“The sides have agreed in Lausanne that the Islamic’ Republic’s enriched uranium stockpile level remain under 300 kilograms,” Bayat reminded.

He said there are two options for Iran – either to convert the enriched uranium to fuel rods or removing it abroad, adding that most likely Tehran will not be able to convert the extra stockpile to fuel inside the country due to lack of related infrastructure.

“So transferring the enriched uranium abroad is the most likely option,” said Bayat. “Despite the name of the country is not revealed, one can guess that it would be Russia.”

“The transfer of the spent fuel from the Arak heavy water reactor out of the country was also already accepted by Iran in Lausanne framework agreement,” the expert underlined.

Ahmed Shirzad, a former Iranian MP also believes that removal of Iran’s enriched uranium to abroad can be considered as a mechanism to decrease its current stockpile below 300 kilograms, which is asserted in Lausanne joint statement.

“Iran has already opposed shipping its enriched uranium abroad,” he said, adding “However transferring the extra enriched uranium abroad and receiving it again in the form of fuel rods is an option which can be implemented.”

Iran and the P5+1 (the US, UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) reached a nuclear framework agreement on April 2 in Lausanne that raised hopes for achieving a comprehensive nuclear deal by June 30.

The deal stipulates the removal of all international sanctions on Iran in return narrowing the range of Iran’s nuclear activities.