US ready to give Iran "space" to mull nuclear fuel deal

Nov 9, 2009, 10:30 GMT

Vienna - The United States is willing to give Iran's leaders some time to come up with a response to a proposed multinational nuclear fuel deal, Washington's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Glyn Davies told reporters in Vienna Monday.

'We want to give some space to Iran to work through this. It's a tough issue for them, obviously,' Davies said, adding however that the US hopes for a response soon.

Since the IAEA drew up a draft deal last month to have Iranian uranium processed abroad into fuel for a medical-use nuclear reactor in Tehran, some Iranian politicians have reacted negatively to the proposal.

The US, Russia and France have already indicated their support for the four-country deal, which would reduce Iran's stock of low-enriched uranium for some time and would help to build confidence in Tehran's nuclear intentions.

Iran has so far not responsed formally to the IAEA.

Davies indirectly denied a report by the New York Times on Monday that the administration of US President Barack Obama has nearly lost hope that the deal will go through, after Iran had allegedly rejected a compromise of storing its uranium in a third country.

Davies said it was obvious that Iran was still considering the deal, saying such debates are a 'normal process.'