VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has ignored a UN ultimatum Friday to respond to an international deal to cut a stock atomic by the West could be used to make weapons, and challenged the basis of the pact .
Iranian officials have said they would give a response until next week at the UN-drafted agreement, which was accepted by the other parties - Russia, France and the United States.
They also said that Tehran has preferred to acquire enriched uranium from abroad rather than send its own for processing into fuel for nuclear medicine, as Western powers said it has tentatively agreed at negotiations in Geneva on October 1 on how to defuse the confrontation more and more over its disputed atomic aspirations.
Their comments suggested that instead of engaging with the project of the IAEA, Iran is following a well established strategy of buying time to blunt Western pressure for tougher international sanctions while supporting on nuclear research.
The nuclear agency of the United Nations said it had been informed by Iran that it was considering the proposal "in depth and in a positive light, but needed until the middle of the week next to take a position - ignored IAEA deadline of Friday for the answers.
She said International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei hopes for Iran's response "will be positive, since the approval of this agreement marks a new era of cooperation" after seven years of deadlock.
The IAEA did not say why Iran required more time to decide.
This would require the Islamic Republic, whose nuclear secrecy and restrictions on IAEA inspections have raised alarm, sending 1.2 tons of stockpiled mines known to 1.5 tonnes of LEU enriched (LEU) in Russia and France by the end of the year.
There it would be further processed in a manner that would make it difficult to use for warheads, and returned to Iran that the fuel plates to fuel a reactor in Tehran which made medical radioisotopes, but due to lack of fuel imports in one year.
The operation would verify the declared intention of Iran to use enriched uranium only for peaceful energy.
It would also save time for broader discussions on the ultimate goal of world powers "that Iran dispel fears that he has a secret program of nuclear weapons by the cessation of enrichment in exchange 'commercial and technological advantages.
But the position taken by the Iranian leadership could call into question plans to resume talks in late October and offered little off fears of a nuclear "Breakout" risk in Iran.
INSPECTORS OF THE POSITION OF HIDDEN ENRICHMENT SITE
Underscoring the concerns, senior IAEA inspectors ready to head to Iran to discuss an enrichment site, revealed Sunday by Iran last month after having penetrated Western intelligence services three years veil of secrecy. They were supposed to stay 2-3 days.
The purchase of enriched uranium abroad does not only fail to reduce domestic stocks worrying the international community, but also require sanctions imposed on Iran since 2006 to be lifted to allow importation of such nuclear materials sensitive.
"Iran is interested in buying fuel for research reactor in Tehran as part of a clear proposal," the Iranian state television quoted a member of the negotiating team of Iran who witnessed nuclear talks in Vienna this week, as saying.
"We expect the other party's response and constructive confidence building."
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of State Ian Kelly said Washington still hopes Iran to positively answer next week. "Obviously, we would have preferred to have an answer today. We approach this with a sense of urgency," he told a briefing regular news.
The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Kouchner was quoted as saying in Lebanon that "through the information we receive, the questions are not very positive" and said this bodes ill for the continuation of talks between Iran and the six great powers provided shortly.
"If these indications are negative and there is no consensus on the expert level ... will affect the continuation of political contacts at the 5 +1 meeting in Geneva."
A senior diplomat from the developing nation in Vienna, with good contacts with the Iranians said he doubted Iran would agree to transfer most of its stocks LEU abroad.
"They will not lose much of their main bargaining chips, with pending negotiations on broader strategic issues in the nuclear dossier," he told Reuters.
ElBaradei hammered the project in three days of difficult consultations in Vienna with delegations from the four nations. "
The transaction would reduce reserve Iran SEU below the threshold that could yield enough fissile material for nuclear weapons if refined to purity of 90 percent. LEU is refined to 5 percent. Reactor fuel is 20 percent pure.
The Islamic Republic says its nuclear program is solely to produce electricity, but it is years away from having any nuclear plant that would use LEU.
Iran has repeatedly rejected UN and the IAEA referred the Commission to fight against the enrichment or grant unrestricted UN inspections, to verify that it does not seek to develop weapons nuclear secrets.
The six powers will pursue these issues with Iran in future negotiations at senior Foreign Ministry officials based in Geneva. Present pace of Iran's enrichment would be to replace the affected amount of LEU for processing overseas in a year or less.
