Under the text read out by US officials, the two countries agreed to discuss a mechanism for dealing with Iran’s stocks of enriched uranium, which have been at the centre of US allegations that Tehran wants to develop nuclear arms.
It says that the “minimum methodology” would be “down blending on site under the supervision of the IAEA” – the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Down blending involves mixing enriched uranium that can be refined to make atomic bombs with depleted uranium, to reduce its radioactivity.
“They’re saying we will destroy the enriched stockpile, and this is how we’re going to do it at a minimum,” the senior US official said, in what he said was his own commentary on the deal.
US$300 BN RECONSTRUCTION FUND
The text says that Washington “undertakes with regional partners to develop a definitive mutually agreed plan with at least US$300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
The mechanism for that would also be part of the 60-day talks.
But the official insisted Washington would not be on the hook, with Trump facing charges of hypocrisy after harshly criticizing cash paid out to Iran under President Barack Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal.
“Note that it doesn’t require us to do anything … to ever pay a cent of money to the Iranians, to ever contribute money to this reconstruction fund,” the first senior official said.
“What it says is that if we get to a final deal and if the Iranians behave, we will permit the sanctions relief that would allow, for example, the Emiratis to build a power plant in Iran.”
