Iran’s top nuclear negotiator has denied recent reports that Iran made a new nine-step proposal to the United States.
Iranian media report that the Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, denied allegations that the Iranian delegation had offered a new so-called nine-step plan to the Americans during the United Nation’s General Assembly meeting last month.
“There have been no new proposals at the recent UN meeting outside the framework of the 5+1 negotiations, and the reports by the U.S. media regarding this matter are baseless,” Jalili was quoted as saying.
The New York Times reported yesterday that Iran had proposed a nine-step plan to end its uranium enrichment program, which the U.S. rejected.
The plan allegedly agrees to a gradual suspension of uranium enrichment at Iran’s Fordo plant in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions and the provision of nuclear fuel from abroad for Iran’s research reactor.
The New York Times quoted unidentified U.S. officials saying that the plan was not practical, since Iran could resume enrichment on short notice, while sanctions would take at least a year to re-implement.
In the meantime, the U.S. congress is planning to intensify sanctions against Iran by subjecting any significant international dealing with Iranian financial institutions to a penalty. Currently, only Iranian oil exports are subjected to such penalties.
