Iran seeks changes to nuclear deal

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran accepted the general framework of a U.N.-draft nuclear deal yesterday but said it would seek "important changes" that could test the willingness of world powers to make concessions in exchange for a pact to rein in Tehran's ability to make atomic warheads.

It was unclear how far Tehran would push for those changes. Already, Iran has raised a potential roadblock: It wants a step-by-step approach to send low-enriched uranium stockpiles out of the country rather than the big single shipment called for under U.N. provisions.

Western powers say it is critical for Iran to send out at least 70 percent of its uranium store in one load to eliminate - at least temporarily - its options to make a nuclear weapon. A significantly lower amount or gradual shipments by Iran could jeopardize a key part of the proposal, which was reached after talks last week that included the United States.

For the moment, Iran has signaled that it agrees to the plan's basic premise: sending its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further processing. The announcement on state media marked a major step for Iran, which has been reluctant to give up full control of the nuclear-enrichment cycle.

Tehran still may be a long way from completing a deal. Western leaders were anticipating additional caveats by the Islamic republic, which is conducting its negotiations in public with a trickle of hints and statements on state-run media.

Iran's state-run Arabic-language channel Al-Alam cited an unidentified official as saying Iran would officially reply within 48 hours - tomorrow in Tehran. Other reports said it could respond Friday.

Iran "will agree to the general framework" of the plan "with a request for important changes," the official said.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed exasperation, saying Tehran was trying to have the proposal "thoroughly reworked."

"It cannot take forever," he said in Luxembourg. "We wait for answers."

The plan was formalized by the United Nations last week after talks between Iran and the United States, Russia, and France. It calls for Iran to ship 70 percent of its enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment. The United States and its allies back the deal because it would at least temporarily leave Iran's uranium stockpiles too low to build a nuclear weapon. Iran denies any intention to develop a bomb.

Another Iranian state channel, Press TV, said that Tehran was opposed to sending the entire shipment abroad at once, suggesting it wants to do it in stages.

The head of Iran's Foreign Policy and National Security Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, was quoted by Iran's semiofficial ILNA news agency as sketching out a scenario in which Iran would send out portions of its low-enriched uranium stockpiles only after it receives a batch of reactor-ready rods.

Iran has also given hints that it may want to send less than 70 percent of its stockpiles abroad. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran might agree to "deliver part of [the low-enriched uranium] fuel which we currently don't need."

A French diplomat said he expected Iran would seek to dramatically reduce the amount of uranium it would ship out of the country.

In the enrichment process, uranium purified to a low level - 5 percent or below - is used as fuel for a nuclear reactor, and to a somewhat higher level - about 20 percent - it can power a research reactor. The United States and its allies fear Iran secretly intends to further enrich its low-enriched uranium to more than 90 percent purity, the level needed to build a bomb. Iran contends its program is intended only to generate electricity.

About 2,200 pounds of low-enriched uranium is needed to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a single nuclear warhead, according to experts. Iran is believed to have well more than that amount of low-enriched uranium in its stockpiles.