As part of negotiations with Iran over nuclear fuel Mohamed ElBaradei of the International Atomic Energy Agency recently proposed that Iran transfer about 70 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment by the end of this year, then to France for conversion into fuel plates for medical use, effectively negating its use in alleged potential nuclear weapons.
Iran has apparently made the perfectly justifiable suggestion that rather than send their fuel off, and cross their fingers that it comes back, they instead do a direct swap of their low-enriched uranium for fuel plates. This makes even more sense when you realise that the U.S. and France have reneged on commercial deals in the past to supply Iran with nuclear fuel.
According to this Reuters report (typically vague on sources) this suggestion is “unacceptable” to “Western diplomats.”
If you wanted evidence that these negotiations are not being carried out in good faith then here you have it. What does it matter to the West if a direct swap is made? The only reason it could matter is that peace is not the West’s aim.