Iran to Prepare Medical Reactor Fuel in 2011

Iran on Wednesday said it intends this year to deliver nuclear material for operating a medical isotope production reactor in Tehran, the Fars News Agency reported (see GSN, April 13).

The Middle Eastern state early last year began further refining low-enriched uranium from its stockpile, ostensibly to fuel the Tehran reactor. The United States and other Western powers, though, have feared the process could help Iran produce nuclear-weapon material, which requires an enrichment level around 90 percent. Tehran has maintained its atomic ambitions are strictly peaceful.

"Our scientists took action to supply fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor and this fuel which is the fruit of the efforts made by our country's scientists will be loaded into the Tehran Research Reactor this year," Iranian Supreme National Security Council Undersecretary Ali Bagheri said (Fars News Agency I, April 13).

Meanwhile, China on Thursday said it wanted new multilateral discussions with Iran to convene in the near future. Iranian delegates last met in January with representatives of the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany, but the meeting appeared to yield little progress toward addressing the atomic standoff (see GSN, Jan. 24).

Bagheri recently expressed Iranian openness to joining new talks.

"We have noticed the relevant reports," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, adding that Beijing has long called for a negotiated resolution to the nuclear dispute. "We hope to see the new round of talks begin at an early date," the official said (Xinhua News Agency, April 14).

Elsewhere, Iranian Oil Minister Massoud Mirkazemi on Wednesday said U.S. and European penalties targeting his country's petroleum industry were having no effect, Faris reported.

The participation of international firms in an Iranian petroleum conference "is a true evidence for the inefficiency of the sanctions imposed by a few hegemonic powers against Iran," Mirkazemi said. "It is also a clear evidence of interaction and companionship of the countries interested in the expansion of economic and industrial relations with the Islamic Iran and Iran's oil industry" (Fars News Agency II, April 13).