Six nations to discuss Iran's slippery stand on uranium

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Iranian official denies deal

Fresh from a landmark meeting that put Iran nuclear talks back on track, Iran and six world powers are already quibbling over what was agreed on ahead of follow-up talks later this month.

Iran accepted a demand Thursday at the talks in a villa outside Geneva to allow U.N. inspectors into its covertly built enrichment plant, in a move that appeared to defuse tensions that had been building for weeks. Western officials said the Islamic republic had also agreed to allow Russia to take some of its enriched uranium and enrich it to higher levels to fuel its research reactor in Tehran -- a potentially significant move that would show greater flexibility by both sides. President Barack Obama noted the deal in comments on the meeting.

But Mehdi Saffare, Iran's ambassador to Britain and a member of the Iranian delegation at the talks, said the issue had "not been discussed yet." Asked whether Iran had accepted, he replied, "No, no!"

Nations prod Iran over its uranium

Representatives of six world powers urged Iran on Friday to accept a U.N. plan aimed at delaying its ability to build a nuclear weapon.

The talks in Brussels involved political directors - foreign ministry officials below ministerial level - from the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany. The United States was represented by Undersecretary of State William Burns, and Russia by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

The talks came just a day after President Barack Obama said the six nations will develop serious new punitive measures in coming weeks. He did not give details.

Iran rejects U.N. deal to export uranium

Iran's foreign minister on Wednesday said his country would not export its enriched uranium for further processing, brushing aside the latest U.N. plan aimed at preventing Iran from potentially building nuclear weapons.

Instead, Manochehr Mottaki said Iran would consider a nuclear swap inside Iran as an alternative plan.

The United Nations last month offered a deal to take 70 percent of Iran's low-enriched uranium to reduce its stockpile of material that could be enriched to a higher level and possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.

Iran says ready to send uranium abroad as UN wants

Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the U.N.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the decision in an interview with state Iranian television.

He said Iran will have "no problem" giving the West its low-enriched uranium and taking it back several months later when it is enriched by 20 percent.

Iran puts new conditions on U.N. enrichment deal

After weeks of conflicting responses, Iran abruptly said Saturday that it is ready to exchange uranium for nuclear fuel - the key demand of a U.N.-sponsored initiative to defuse global fears over its nuclear program.

The conditions laid out in comments from Iran's foreign minister, however, are unlikely to satisfy the U.S. and its allies as they prepare to discuss new sanctions against Iran at a meeting that could take place in the coming week.

Iran's stockpile of uranium is at the heart of international concerns because it offers Iran a possible pathway to nuclear weapons production if it is enriched to higher levels. Iran insists it only wants to use the material to produce fuel for power plants and for other peaceful purposes.