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Iran in Secret Talks on Nuclear Swap in Bid to End Sanctions
(Telegraph-UK) Praveen Swami - Iran has begun secret negotiations on proposals to surrender a substantial part of its uranium stockpile and suspend enriching nuclear fuel in return for an end to sanctions that have crippled the country's economy. The Turkish-led deal calls on Iran to ship about 1,000 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium, as well as its entire 30 kilogram stockpile of 20%-enriched uranium, to a safe location. In return, France and Russia will supply ready-made fuel rods for the medical isotope reactor for which Iran says it has been enriching uranium to 20% - a level which halves the time needed to manufacture weapons-grade material. Turkish and Iranian negotiators, diplomatic sources say, have met several times to discuss the contours of the deal. France, Russia and the U.S. have also been involved in the negotiations.