Mohamed ElBaradei says he hopes Iran will not miss what he calls "unique but fleeting opportunity" to send uranium abroad for further enrichment. He spoke as officials from Germany and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council prepared to hold talks in Brussels on Iran's nuclear program.
The head of the U.N. nuclear agency is urging Iran to accept an offer to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment.
Mohamed ElBaradei says he hopes Iran will not miss what he called a "unique but fleeting opportunity." He says it is Iran's turn to decide how it wants to proceed on the issue.
ElBaradei spoke as officials from Germany and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia) prepare to hold talks Friday in Brussels on Iran's nuclear program.
On Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said his country will not process its enriched uranium abroad -- as called for by a U.N.-brokered proposal -- and will consider only a uranium-for-fuel swap inside Iran.
U.S. President Barack Obama says his administration has begun talks with allies on the consequences of Iran's failure to respond to the proposed deal.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his government may consider better relations with the West, but only if it changed what he called its "arrogant" attitude and returned some of its nation's assets.
Iran has not suspended its uranium enrichment activities, despite three rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions.
Enriched uranium produces fuel that can be used for civilian purposes, or in highly enriched form, for nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
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