Iran Agrees to Suspend Uranium Enrichment

TEHRAN, Iran, November 15, 2004 (ENS) - Talks between Iran and Britain, France and Germany on getting Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment bore fruit on Sunday night with a consensus agreement. The deal will allow Iran to avoid being brought before the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.

Iran sent a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Sunday announcing that it had agreed with the European Union to voluntarily suspend uranium enrichment "as a confidence building measure."

Iran's representative to the IAEA Pirouz Hosseini told the Islamic Republic News Agency on Sunday night that Iran has reached consensus with the EU's big three - Britain, France and Germany - to halt enrichment.

Diplomatic sources said Europe offered peaceful nuclear technology, increased trade and help with regional security in return.

"The Islamic Republic in the letter announced its agreement with the halt of uranium enrichment as a confidence-building measure," Hosseini said.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this month. (Photo by Eskinder Debebe courtesy UN/DPI)

"This is clearly in the interest of both Iran and the international community," ElBaradei stressed.

Iran declared that it only accepts uranium enrichment suspension voluntarily and for a short period of time. The pledge is not legally binding.

Hassan Rohani is secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security (Photo by Melissa Fleming courtesy IAEA)

Iran and the EU reached the agreement on uranium enrichment after holding talks in Vienna, Paris and Tehran. In the past, Iran has maintained its right to complete its nuclear fuel cycle and uranium enrichment based on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasizing that the country would not ignore its right to do so.

Iran has said it needs to enrich uranium to fuel for at least one of eight nuclear power reactors it plans to build.

The Bush administration has been lobbying for the UN Security Council to take action against Tehran as Washington believes Iran would use its enriched uranium to build a nuclear arsenal.

An Iranian diplomat in Tehran late Sunday confirmed the agreement and saying, "The consensus embraces viewpoints and considerations of both Iran and the international community."

The IAEA member states unanimously passed a resolution in September demanding that Iran halt all work on uranium enrichment and related activities, and the UN nuclear watchdog will judge Iran's compliance at a Board of Governors meeting on November 25.