Azerbaijan, Baku, Sep.6 /Trend, D.Khatinoglu, S. Isayev/
Decreasing 20 percent-enriched uranium stockpile in Iran, has no political motivation, head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi told IRNA.
Salehi was answering a question about International Atomic Energy Agency's latest report, which says Iran's 20 percent-enriched uranium hasn't increased, while the 20 percent pure UF6 (Uranium hexafluoride) stockpile is being used to produce Triuranium octoxide (U3O8, the first component of nuclear fuel).
Iran currently has a stockpile of 185.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent, only a slight increase since the IAEA's May 2013, IAEA reported on late August.
Salehi said Iran informed former IAEA head Mohammad Al-Baradei (in April 2010) that it wants to buy 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel for Tehran's 5-MW nuclear Research Reactor and the request was discussed with Russia and the United States.
However, according to Salehi, these countries offered a non-paper proposal to Iran, saying they are ready to supply 20 percent pure nuclear fuel to Iran in case the Islamic Republic is ready to transfer its 3.5 percent pure uranium abroad.
Salehi went on to note that he was "shocked, hearing their precondition".
"Why should Iran hand over its uranium stockpile for nuclear fuel?," Salehi asked.
To provide Tehran nuclear reactor with fuel, Iran bought 30 kg of enriched uranium (at 19.75 percent) from Argentina back in 1993.
Iran started to produce 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel in 2010, rejecting P5+1 groups' proposal to change the 20 percent pure nuclear fuel with 1300 kg of Iran's 3.5 percent pure UF6 stockpile.
Tehran Research Reactor now produces medical isotopes for cancer patients by domestic produced nuclear fuels.