In this picture taken on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, Iranian school girls show their hands with writing in Persian in support supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denouncing the U.S. and one of them with word "Nuclear Scientist" in an annual state-backed rally in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, commemorating 33rd anniversary of the embassy takeover by militant students. On Nov. 4, 1979, students who believed the embassy was a center of plots against Iran held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days, and the US severed formal diplomatic ties in response. In a sharp counterpoint to the Western outreach by President Hassan Rouhani’s government, hard-line factions in Iran have amplified their bluster and backlash in messages that they cannot be ignored in any diplomatic moves with Washington either in the nuclear talks or beyond. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
In this picture taken on Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, Iranian school girls show their hands with writing in Persian in support supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, denouncing the U.S. and one of them with word "Nuclear Scientist" in an annual state-backed rally in front of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, commemorating 33rd anniversary of the embassy takeover by militant students. On Nov. 4, 1979, students who believed the embassy was a center of plots against Iran held 52 Americans hostages for 444 days, and the US severed formal diplomatic ties in response. In a sharp counterpoint to the Western outreach by President Hassan Rouhani’s government, hard-line factions in Iran have amplified their bluster and backlash in messages that they cannot be ignored in any diplomatic moves with Washington either in the nuclear talks or beyond. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A prominent Iranian lawmaker said Tehran doesn't need any more 20 percent-enriched uranium, a news agency covering the country's parliament reported late Wednesday night, a key point in negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the West.
While lawmaker Hossein Naqvi Hosseini isn't a government spokesman nor a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, his comments touch on a major concession wanted by Western powers — halting production of enriched uranium that could be used to build nuclear weapons.
Hosseini's brief comments, published online by ICANA, did not say whether Iran will stop enrichment.
"Tehran reactor fuel has been supplied and currently no need is felt for production of 20 percent-enriched uranium," Hosseini was quoted as saying.
Hosseini, who serves as a spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, also said the country is prepared to relieve concerns over its stockpile of enriched uranium.
"Tehran is ready to convert its stockpile of 20 percent-enriched uranium to fuel rods and remove concerns over its non-peaceful use," he was quoted as saying. He offered no other details about what steps Iran would take.
Western powers fear Iran's nuclear program could be used to build an atomic bomb. Iran says its program is peaceful and is for advances in medical research and power generation.
Last week, Iranian diplomats met in Geneva with negotiators from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran hopes to ease the crippling economic and oil sanctions placed on its government over its contested nuclear program.
Iran currently runs more than 10,000 centrifuges which have created tons of fuel-grade material that can be further enriched to arm nuclear warheads. Tehran also has nearly 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of higher-enriched uranium in a form that can be turned into weapons much more quickly. Experts say 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of 20 percent-enriched uranium are needed to produce a single warhead
Among key concessions wanted by the West, according to two diplomats who spoke with The Associated Press, is that Iran stop enriching uranium to 20 percent. The diplomats say Iran offered to halt 20 percent enrichment at last week's Geneva talks. However, the Iranian government hasn't publicly commented on that.
Negotiators from Iran and the six powers are due to meet in Geneva for further talks on Nov. 7-8.
Associated PressSource: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-23-Iran-Nuclear/id-c607b814e6b84a16a4739f1f6e10f331Related Topics: carrie underwood chargers Jack Nicholson phoebe cates jeff bezos
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