Iran willing to swap nuclear material in Turkey

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran would be willing to swap nuclear material with the West in Turkey, the foreign minister said in the country’s latest counteroffer to a U.N.-drafted deal aimed at thwarting Tehran’s ability to produce atomic weapons.

The U.N. proposal aims to ease concerns that Iran could build a nuclear weapon by reducing its stockpile of low-enriched uranium. Under the proposal, the uranium would be shipped to France and Russia in exchange for more highly enriched fuel rods that are not suitable for use in weapons.

Speaking on Iran’s state TV, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki suggested Turkey, which neighbors Iran and has good relations with the West, as a venue for exchanging nuclear material.

Iran “does not have a problem with Turkish soil” as the location for an exchange of enriched uranium for nuclear fuel, he said late Thursday.

In Turkey, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu welcomed the Iranian announcement and said his government is ready to do its best to help reach a diplomatic solution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.

While Iran’s remarks signaled a slight change in stance — the country has said before it would only accept such an exchange on its own territory — they represent no significant shift in Iran’s policy.