Ball in world powers' court as ıran sends deal to IAEA

Iran yesterda followed through on a deal it agreed to with Turkey and Brazil to transfer some of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey, presenting a formal letter to the UN atomic watchdog that outlines the agreement. “We expect the deal to be realized as soon as possible,” Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said after the letter, signed by Iranian nuclear program chief Ali Akbar Salehi, was handed over to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano at a 45-minute meeting in Vienna. Permanent representatives of Turkey and Brazil at the UN were also present during the meeting, the Anatolia news agency said. The letter constitutes the first step in the implementation of the May 17 deal, formulated after 18-hour-long negotiations between Turkey, Brazil and Iran. The IAEA is now due to present it to the Vienna Group, made up of potential suppliers of higher enriched uranium -- namely the United States, Russia and France -- as well as the IAEA. The next step involves Iran sending 1,200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey within one month, awaiting the delivery of 120 kilograms of uranium enriched by up to 20 percent in 11 months in return. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, on Sunday, discussing the content of the letter before talking to Amano. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also had a phone conversation with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. US President Barack Obama told Erdogan during a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Iran’s message to the IAEA should be “firm and authoritative.” And the Turkish side has announced the letter met expectations. “We believe the letter was formulated as a constructive and positive text,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Ozugergin said on Sunday after Davutoglu’s talks with Mottaki. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, speaking in İstanbul, said Tehran had accepted the nuclear fuel swap to show good faith in efforts to defuse tensions concerning its nuclear program, which he reiterated were solely peaceful. “Iran accepted the conditions in order to create an atmosphere based on trust and cooperation,” Mehmanparast told journalists at a press conference on Monday. He said Tehran was awaiting approval from the Vienna Group for its uranium to be sent to Turkey for safekeeping until a swap could take place. “We will reach an agreement with the group after the discussions on all technical and official details are complete. A possible agreement with the Vienna Group … will provide a peaceful and constructive solution for the whole world.” Turkey defends the deal, saying it meets all of the demands put forward by the world powers and that it should be given a chance so as to pave the way for a diplomatic solution. The US, however, says it appreciates the Turkish effort but insists concerns over Iran’s intentions remain, and it will continue pushing for new sanctions against Tehran despite the deal.