Iran tells U.N. it wants nuclear fuel first: envoys

Iran has told the U.N. nuclear watchdog it wants fresh fuel for a reactor in Tehran before it will agree to ship most of its enriched uranium stocks to Russia and France, diplomats said Friday.

In what the International Atomic Energy Agency has described as an initial response to an IAEA-drafted nuclear fuel proposal, Western diplomats said on condition of anonymity that major Western powers found the Iranian demand for immediate access to fresh atomic fuel unacceptable.

Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and has refused to halt it, while Western powers fear Iran is covertly developing atomic weapons.

"The Iranians want to get enriched uranium fuel for their reactor first before they send it abroad, which simply isn't acceptable," one diplomat told Reuters.

Another diplomat confirmed the remarks as accurate.

The diplomats said it was unclear whether the proposal was a serious one or if the Iranians were trying to drag out the negotiating process.