WASHINGTON Ñ The United States said it offered Russia a deal worth
$10 billion in exchange for ending its nuclear program in Iran.
U.S. officials acknowledged that Russia has rejected the American
proposal. Instead, Moscow has accelerated talks on expanding nuclear
cooperation with Iran.
A delegation from Iran's Atomic Energy Organization has been holding
talks in Moscow over amending an agreement on the Bushehr light-water
nuclear reactor. The talks are said to focus on the transfer of spent
nuclear fuel to Russia, Middle East Newsline reported.
U.S. officials said the proposal called for a Russian halt of aid to
Iran's strategic programs, such as intermediate- and long-range missiles as
well as the construction of nuclear reactors. This would include suspension
of the Bushehr nuclear reactor, an $800 million project carried out by
Moscow.
In return, the officials said, the United States would provide the green
light for the development of a new Russian industry worth $10 billion. Under
the proposal, the United States would allow third countries to transfer
spent nuclear fuel to Russia. Such a transfer requires U.S. approval as
Washington has supplied most of the nuclear fuel to countries outside the
former East Bloc.
"An end to Russian proliferation to Iran would allow the United States
and Russia to reap the full promise of our new strategic relationship,"
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said on Wednesday. "That would
benefit Russia economically, politically and strategically far more than any
short-term gain from sensitive transfers to Iran."
"One example is the potential transfer to Russia for storage of spent
reactor fuel currently held by third countries, much of which requires U.S.
approval for such transfer because the U.S. originally supplied the fresh
fuel to those countries," Boucher added. "If the Russians end their
sensitive cooperation with Iran, we have indicated we would be prepared to
favorably consider such transfers, an arrangement potentially worth over $10
billion to Moscow."
U.S. officials said Iran is using the Bushehr project to develop an
infrastructure for nuclear weapons. They said Iran plans to tip its
intermediate- and long-range missiles with weapons of mass destruction.
A U.S. defense official said Iran failed in the latest test of its
Shihab-3 missile. The official said the test of the intermediate-range
missile took place in July and the missle failed to reach its desired range.
The official said tests were conducted in May and June. He said the
United States does not have information of a reported test of a longer-range
Shihab-4 missile in August.
