Iran may take Brazil mediation to revive atom deal

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TEHRAN, May 5 (Reuters): Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has agreed 'in principle' to Brazilian mediation to revive a UN-brokered nuclear fuel swap deal with world powers, the semi-official Fars news agency said Wednesday.
The powers see the deal as a way to remove much of Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile to minimise the risk of this being used for atomic bombs, while Iran would get specially processed fuel to keep its nuclear medicine program running.
But the proposal broke down over Iran's insistence on doing the swap only on its territory, rather than shipping its LEU abroad in advance, and in smaller, phased amounts, meaning no meaningful cut in a stockpile which grows day by day.
"In a telephone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart, Ahmadinejad agreed in principle to Brazil's mediation over the nuclear fuel deal," Fars said, quoting a statement issued by Ahmadinejad's office.
The pact conceived in talks conducted by the UN nuclear watchdog last October required Iran to ship 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) of its LEU, enough for one atom bomb if enriched to high grade, to Russia and France for conversion into fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor, which makes isotopes for cancer treatment.
The three powers have ruled out rewriting the deal's conditions as the Islamic Republic demands.
The United States is lobbying UN Security Council members, to back a fourth round of international sanctions on Iran in the coming weeks, to press it into curbing uranium enrichment.
Meanwhile, AFP from Damascus adds: Syria Wednesday said the United States should have pursued dialogue with Damascus rather than renew economic sanctions on the country.
"The US administration should have expanded the dialogue with Syria, which the Americans themselves say plays a key role," in the Middle East, the official Al-Baath newspaper said in an editorial.
The comments come after President Barack Obama on Monday renewed US sanctions on Syria for a year, accusing Damascus of supporting "terrorist" groups and pursuing missile programmes and weapons of mass destruction.
"The American administration made a mistake by sending such a message to Syria," said the paper, mouthpiece of Syria's ruling Al-Baath party.