Iran foreign minister calls uranium deal a chance to break deadlock over nuclear program

Iran foreign minister optimistic on uranium deal

TOKYO — Iran’s foreign minister said Monday he is optimistic for international approval on a deal to swap nuclear fuel with Turkey, and that Tehran hopes to restore diplomatic relations with Washington in the future.

Iran last week submitted the deal for approval to the International Atomic Energy Agency. It involves exchanging enriched uranium for fuel rods that can be used in nuclear reactors but not in nuclear weapons.

The agreement does not keep Iran from continuing to enrich more high-grade uranium on its own, leading to criticism from the U.S. and other countries, which are pushing for fresh sanctions against the country.

But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Monday called it an opportunity to finally make progress on the issue.

“In terms of realizing this agreement, it is my belief that all countries involved are searching for a way out of the current circumstances,” he said.

Mottaki spoke to business leaders, scholars and reporters at a luncheon in a Tokyo hotel.

The fuel-exchange deal was brokered by Brazil and Turkey, whose leaders say it is a starting point for negotiations and have defended it from U.S. criticism.

It comes as the U.N. Security Council considers a new set of sanctions in response to Iran’s refusal to halt high-level uranium enrichment. Iran originally said it needed the material to fuel its research reactor, after an earlier deal to secure such fuel from abroad fell apart.

Washington and Tehran broke off direct diplomatic relations following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and Switzerland handles U.S. interests inside Iran. Mottaki said a restoration of official ties was a possibility, without setting a timeline.

“It is not our intention to permanently have no diplomatic relations with America,” he said.

Mottaki repeatedly referred to Iran’s close ties with Japan in his comments. He said he had held numerous long discussions on the telephone with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada about an agreement similar to the one submitted to the IAEA last week, and that Tokyo could help the current deal go through.

“I believe strongly that Japan can have a beneficial and constructive role in realizing the terms of the agreement,” Mottaki said.