Iran makes uranium deal with Turkey and Brazil

[piercehawkeye45]

CAIRO — Iran announced an agreement on Monday to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a deal that could offer a short-term solution to its ongoing nuclear standoff with the West, or prove to be a tactic aimed at derailing efforts to bring new sanctions against Tehran.

The deal, negotiated by Turkey and Brazil, calls for Iran to ship 1,200 kilograms (2,640 pounds) of low enriched uranium to Turkey, where it would be stored. In exchange, after one year, Iran would have the right to receive about 265 pounds of material enriched to 20 percent from Russia and France.

The terms mirror a deal with the West last October that fell apart when Iran backtracked. But it is far from clear that the Obama administration will agree to it now — in part because Iran has continued to enrich uranium, adding to its stockpiles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/wo...pagewanted=all


This deal will put Obama into an awkward situation. Since Iran is sending around 2/3rd of its stockpile of low enriched uranium to Turkey, enough that it cannot do anything with what's remaining, and is receiving higher grade material that is still not powerful enough to create nuclear weapons, it shows that Iran will not make nuclear weapons anytime soon. But, Iran refuses to stop enriching uranium themselves, so they could possibly be continuing research to create nuclear weapons in the future.

The UN made a deal extremely similar to this 8 months ago that Obama was ready to sign but Iran backed out of it. Now, Iran is making the deal and while it is slightly more in Iran's favor, Obama will need to decide which route he wants to take.

Other links:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7697709.story
http://realisticbird.wordpress.com/2...el-infuriated/