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Years of diplomatic deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program may have reached a breakthrough. Iran says it will ship low-enriched uranium to Turkey. In return, higher-enriched uranium will be sent back to Iran. The proposal is being met with applause and skepticism. The World’s Jason Margolis will have more in today’s show.
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MARCO WERMAN: I’m Marco Werman and this is The World. Years of diplomatic deadlock over Iran’s nuclear program may have reached a breakthrough today. Iran says it will ship low enriched uranium to Turkey. In return, Iran will receive higher enriched uranium to use in a medical research reactor in Tehran. That fuel would still be enriched well below the level needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon. The deal was brokered after 18 hours of negotiations between leaders from Iran, Turkey and Brazil. But it’s far from certain that the deal will satisfy the international community. The World’s Jason Margolis has more.
JASON MARGOLIS: The question is why now? Why is Iran agreeing to this deal? That’s what the west is wondering. After all, the agreement announced today mirrors a deal negotiated in Geneva last fall. President Obama endorsed that plan, but Iran backed away from the proposal. Brazil’s President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva suggested a deal is being reached now because of the people doing the negotiating.
INTERPRETER: We’ve established a relationship of trust. Politics isn’t possible without trust. I think we have secured a great achievement that was a great victory for diplomacy.
MARGOLIS: That’s high faluting talk for a bad deal, argues Nicolas Burns at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He says Brazil and Turkey have negotiated an agreement contrary to the interests of the United States, Europe and even Russia.
NICOLAS BURNS: This proposal does not address the real concern about Iran. It’s still enriching uranium without the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
MARGOLIS: As to the question why now? Burns argues that the game has changed since a deal was proposed last fall. Iran has more raw materials.
BURNS: President Obama and President Sarkozy had announced last autumn an arrangement with Iran whereby up to 70% of Iran’s low enriched uranium would be shipped out of Iran. That would have made it impossible for Iran to have continued to enrich sufficient material to produce a nuclear weapon. This agreement, as far as the press reports are concerned, and I’m just looking at the press reports, would only take about 50% of the low enriched uranium out of Iran leaving a lot of material in the country to potentially enrich to a weapons grade level, and to give Iran the prospect of continuing its nuclear program.
MARGOLIS: Iran’s foreign minister said this new deal should lead to cooperation and avoid confrontation. In other words, Iran should not be subject to further U.N. sanctions. The President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy said the new deal does not change Europe’s position about Iran’s nuclear program.
HERMAN VAN ROMPUY: Iran has so far refused to engage in serious discussions on reasonable concerns related to its nuclear program. Iran needs to reassure the international community about the intentions behind its nuclear program.
MARGOLIS: Critics of today’s deal say Iran is simply stalling, trying to avoid sanctions while also attempting to win propaganda points. Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilnai, cut to the chase. He said Iran is intent on getting nuclear weapons. That Iran is taking steps that are far from benign as the President of Brazil tells it. Iran is supposed to send details of today’s proposal to the IAEA within a week. The White House is taking a wait and see approach, but stressed today that Iran has repeatedly failed to live up to its own commitments. For The World, I’m Jason Margolis.
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