* Iran still converting some sensitive nuclear material –
diplomats
* Move limits stockpile of controversial medium-enriched
uranium
* May help buy time for big power diplomacy with new Iranian
president
By Fredrik Dahl
VIENNA, Aug 19 (Reuters) – Iran appears to be holding back
growth of its most sensitive nuclear stockpile by continuing to
convert some of it into reactor fuel, diplomats said on Monday,
potentially giving more time for negotiation with world powers.
The stock of medium-enriched uranium gas is closely watched
in the West; Israel has threatened to attack if diplomacy fails
to curb Iran’s programme and it amasses enough of the material –
a short technical step from weapons-grade – to make a bomb.
The Islamic state says its programme is for power generation
and medical purposes only, but the election of the relative
moderate Hassan Rouhani as president has raised hopes that talks
to address the decade-old nuclear dispute could be unblocked.
Since Iran in 2010 began enriching uranium to a 20 percent
concentration of the fissile isotope, it has produced more than
the 240-250 kg that would be needed for one weapon.
But it has kept the stockpile below the stated Israeli “red
line” by converting part of the uranium gas into oxide powder in
order, it says, to yield fuel for a medical research reactor.
The diplomats, accredited to the United Nations’
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said Iran might even
have stepped up this conversion in recent months.
If this is confirmed in the IAEA’s quarterly report, due
around Aug. 27-28, the inventory of 20 percent gas will rise by
less than the output, which has been about 15 kg per month.
One of the diplomats suggested the stockpile may show little
or even no growth during the last three months, saying:
“Everyone expects there to be as much or more conversion.”
But he and others cautioned against seeing it as a signal by
the new Iranian president as the uranium conversion began in
late 2011.
Iran’s stockpile of 20 percent uranium gas amounted to 182
kg in May, according to the IAEA’s last report, an increase of 9
percent since February but still well below the “red line” set
by Israel, believed to be the region’s only nuclear weapons
power.
While the conversion activity may help to push back any
Israeli decision on whether to attack Iranian nuclear sites,
Western diplomats say Iran needs to do much more to allay
suspicions about its atomic programme. They note that uranium
oxide powder can be converted back into gas form relatively
quickly.
The six powers negotiating with Iran – the United States,
France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia – want it to stop
enriching uranium to 20 percent and suspend work at the
underground Fordow site where most of this activity is pursued.
Rouhani, a former nuclear negotiator who oversaw a previous
deal to suspend Iran’s uranium enrichment, has pledged to
improve ties with the outside world and secure an easing of
international sanctions.
But he insists on Iran’s right to refine uranium, and the
government has made clear that it would expect a major easing of
sanctions, which are hurting its oil-dependent economy, in
exchange for any agreement to curb enrichment.
(Editing by Kevin Liffey)
