Iran is offering to hold off from expanding its uranium-enrichment programme for about seven years in negotiations with six world powers, Tehran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said in remarks published by The New York Times on Tuesday.
Mr. Zarif outlined the offer as negotiators were struggling in Vienna to reach a deal by a Sunday deadline that would curb Iran’s nuclear programme, end sanctions targeting the country and ultimately repair its relations with the world.
The size of Iran’s uranium-enrichment programme is one of the key elements of the deal, on which negotiators have made little headway, diplomats have said.
“I’m not here to present maximalist positions,” Mr. Zarif said on the sidelines of talks with his U.S. counterpart, John Kerry. “I can try to work out an agreement where we would maintain our current levels.” Iran is currently spinning about 10,000 centrifuges at high speeds to purify uranium to levels suitable for use in power reactors. An additional 9,000 centrifuges are installed but not operating.
“The suggestion is on the table,” a Western diplomat said, referring to Mr. Zarif’s proposal.
But he added that the offer was only one of several proposals to limit Tehran’s enrichment capability that is being discussed between Iran and the group of Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany.
The sextet is seeking to prevent Iran from amassing uranium that could be further processed into nuclear weapons material.
A senior U.S. administration official said last week that the current enrichment programme had to be significantly reduced for a number of years in the “double digits.” However, Mr. Zarif said the limitations should apply only for about seven years.
