Clinton says Iran nuclear fuel swap offer marred by deficiencies, sanctions push to continue
By Matthew Lee, APWednesday, May 26, 2010
Clinton: Iran nuclear fuel swap offer is ‘ploy’
BEIJING — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says an Iranian plan to swap some of its enriched uranium for reactor fuel is a “transparent ploy” to try to avoid new U.N. Security Council sanctions over its suspect nuclear program.
Speaking in the Chinese capital of Beijing, Clinton said Tuesday the swap offer submitted to the U.N. nuclear watchdog has a number of deficiencies and does not address international concerns about Iran’s atomic ambitions.
She said the U.S.-led push for fresh Security Council penalties on Iran would continue.
The U.S. and other Western countries accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program. Iran denies the charge but has repeatedly refused to prove that its program is peaceful.
