BICOM

On the first day of talks in Kazakhstan, international powers proposed a plan to ease concerns over Iran’s nuclear programme in return for a reduction in some international sanctions.

This week’s talks are the third round of negotiations between Iranian officials and representatives of the P5+1 powers – United States, UK, China, Russia, France and Germany – who are tasked with leading the international effort to find a diplomatic resolution to assuage fears over Iran’s nuclear development. Michael Mann, spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who oversees P5+1 contact with Iran said, “It is clear that nobody expects… a fully done deal” this week.

However, Mann did confirm, “We’ve put some proposals forward which will hopefully allow Iran to show some flexibility… The ball is in their court.”Although unconfirmed, it is thought that the offer would see sanctions eased mainly on Iranian trade in gold and other precious metals. In return, the P5+1 forum has reportedly requested that Iran cease production of twenty per cent enriched uranium, considered just a small step from weapons grade material, ship its current stockpile of such material out of Iran and shut its nuclear plant at Fordow.

Reuters cites an Iranian source, saying that Iran will present its own proposal “of the same weight” as that presented by the P5+1 powers. However, the Jerusalem Post quotes an unnamed Israeli official “sceptical in the extreme” that the talks will make significant progress, saying that Iran’s “ultimate goal is to keep talking, and one day to surprise the world with nuclear tests.” A report in this morning’s Telegraph says that new satellite images show that plutonium production is underway at Iran’s Arak plant as Tehran looks to develop a ‘plan B’ for its nuclear programme.