Iran to seek changes in uranium offer

TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Tehran will seek to change the terms of an international offer to enrich Iran's uranium refined abroad, official media says.

Al-Alam, Iran's state-owned broadcast television network, said Tehran will look to change aspects of an offer from the United States, Russia, France and the International Atomic Energy Agency to take most of the stockpile to Russia and France, where it would be refined for a medical reactor, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

The newspaper, quoting unnamed sources, indicated Iranian leaders would seek "important adjustments" in the offer.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters the United States would not respond until Iran submits an official response. But the Times said veteran Iran-watchers will probably use hard-ball negotiations to gain maximum advantages on how much of the fuel will be shipped abroad and on the timing of the shipments.

"My experience in dealing with a lot of these guys is they won't give up anything until they absolutely have to," Mark Fowler, a former CIA Iran expert working as an analyst at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, told the Times.