Iran - nuclear rift

UN to inspect nuclear site after Iran rejects fuel deal

Article published on the 2009-11-19 Latest update 2009-11-19 10:13 TU

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran this week
(Photo: Reuters)

UN experts will visit a controversial uranium enrichment plant south of Tehran on Thursday. This comes as US President Barack Obama warned of "consequences" after Iran dismissed a UN-brokered nuclear fuel deal.

The visit by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team to the plant, which is being built inside a mountain near the Shiite holy city of Qom, was announced by Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh.

"It is a routine visit," a source close to Iran's nuclear body said about the UN inspection, which is the second by the IAEA in less than a month.

The inspection comes a day after Iran rejected plans for it to send more than 70 percent of its stocks of low-enriched uranium abroad under the IAEA-brokered deal.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Wednesday that Iran is ready for more talks with world powers on the issue, and is prepared to consider the idea of a simultaneous exchange of uranium for fuel for a Tehran reactor.

The IAEA has already said that idea is unacceptable to the Western powers, who support the UN-brokered deal because they believe it would leave Iran with not enough stocks of low-enriched uranium to make a bomb.

Obama warned Washington has "begun discussions with its international partners about the importance of having consequences."

World powers have warned Iran that it could face tough new sanctions, which Mottaki dismissed.

"Sanctions was the literature of the '60s and the '70s … in the last four years they have the experience of doing so. And I think they are wise enough not to repeat failed experiences," Mottaki said.