Iran wants new nuclear fuel talks, deepening doubts

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Mohammad Khazaee did not mention the fuel proposal in his speech to the General Assembly, which was meeting to discuss the annual report of the IAEA.

NEW SANCTIONS?

Western powers have signalled that their patience is limited and that they will consider new sanctions early next year if Iran does not make its nuclear work more transparent.

France and Germany urged Iran to accept ElBaradei's deal, echoing earlier comments from Britain and Russia.

"We are waiting for a reply. If the reply is aimed at delaying matters, as we believe, then we will not accept it," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told a news conference in Paris with German counterpart Guido Westerwelle.

The plan, backed by the other participants, aims to reduce Iran's LEU stockpile below the minimum quantity that could be turned into the highly enriched uranium needed for a bomb.

"We are ready to buy the fuel from any supplier under the full scope of safeguards and surveillance of the IAEA," said Soltanieh, Tehran's veteran ambassador to the atomic watchdog.

"The core issue is the assurance and guarantee of the supply, keeping in mind the past confidence deficit where we did not receive the fuel we had paid for," he said, alluding to supply deals that fell through after the Islamic Revolution.

Iran's foreign minister said Tehran wants the IAEA to set up a "technical commission" to review the deal.

Iran gave the IAEA an "initial response" to the draft deal on Friday after talks in Vienna on October 19-21 with the three big powers. Diplomats say ElBaradei told Tehran to come back with a full answer and a better proposal.