TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced late on Thursday that Tehran is not opposed to a simultaneous exchange of its low-enriched uranium for a higher enriched fuel in another country.

However, Mottaki said the West must first prove its sincerity that it will not backtrack an exchange deal.
“We have no problem for exchange of uranium on the soil of another country but they must first build confidence and prove their goodwill,” Mottaki said on IRIB’s channel 2 “Special Program”.
“The ball is in their own court, they should answer us,” Mottaki said in an address to the 5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany).
Iran has already demanded guarantees that it will receive the 20 percent enriched uranium if it agrees to a trade for its low-enriched uranium.
Mottaki had disputed Western claims that Iran has rejected the proposal to exchange its low-enriched uranium for 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel for the Tehran research reactor.
In the first stage Iran is ready to exchange 400 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf, Mottaki told reporters on the sidelines of The Manama Dialogue on Dec. 12.
Mottaki said Western powers should provide Iran with 20 percent enriched fuel it needs for its Tehran research reactor because it is a humanitarian issue, otherwise the country will produce the fuel itself.
Research reactor in Tehran manufactures medical radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
Tender for producing nuclear plants
The top diplomat also stated that Iran is planning to hold soon a tender for building 10 new nuclear power plants in line with the country’s plan to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear electricity annually.
Yemen conflict
Commenting on the war in Yemen, Mottaki said the country is in a difficult situation and killing Yemeni civilians will not benefit anyone.
If Saudi Arabia is concerned about its borders with Yemen, it can defend its borders but interfering in Yemen’s affairs will not solve any problem, he commented.
He dismissed allegations that Iran is interfering in Yemen’s affairs, saying Yemeni officials have acknowledged that Iran is not meddling in their internal matters