Iran and the US Negotiate Over 'Nuclear Compromise'

The Associated Press reports that as the deadline for extended nuclear negotiations approaches, Iran and the United States are negotiating the number of active centrifuges in Iran. This report, published on Tuesday, February 3, suggests that such a compromise could end two decades of disputes to ensure that Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. The Associated Press states: 'The compromise is that Iran will keep more of its centrifuges active, but their efficiency will remain low, thereby reducing Iran's potential capability to build nuclear weapons without having to dismantle a large number of its centrifuges.' Centrifuges are used for uranium enrichment, and highly enriched uranium can be used in the construction of nuclear weapons. The Associated Press continues to note that experts warn that any reduction in the 'efficiency' of centrifuges is much more easily reversible than a reduction in the 'number' of centrifuges, a matter that could provoke opposition from powerful critics of the nuclear negotiations in the US Congress. Two diplomats who spoke with the news agency requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak to the media. These diplomats stated that there is no guarantee that the negotiations concerning Iran's centrifuges will lead to an agreement. According to the potential compromise, most of Iran's 10,000 centrifuges will remain active, but their efficiency will be limited. One diplomat mentioned that the mentioned compromise could also include a range of other issues. For example, Iran will only be allowed to have a certain amount of uranium gas reserves commensurate with the number of active centrifuges. The second option is that Iran could transfer part of its enriched uranium reserves abroad. This would eliminate Iran's potential capability to build nuclear weapons. Iran completely denies efforts to build a nuclear bomb and states that its nuclear program has peaceful purposes. Last year, Iran proposed that if it could keep more centrifuges active, it would be willing to reduce their output, but this proposal was rejected by the US and other negotiating parties (the six world powers). The report states that, nevertheless, two rounds of extensions of the nuclear negotiations and the obligation for the parties to strive for a political agreement by the end of March (early Nowruz) and to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement by June 30 have increased pressure on the negotiations. The two extensions of negotiations have raised doubts and skepticism among hardliners in both Iran and the US, and another failure of the negotiations could increase pressures in Congress for heightened sanctions against Iran, a situation that Iranian officials have previously warned would disrupt negotiations and diplomatic efforts. The report states that although Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany are also at the negotiating table, the main discussions are occurring between Iran and the US. Last year, the US had asked Iran to reduce the number of its active centrifuges from the current figure of 10,000 to about 2,000. In December of last year, when the nuclear negotiations were extended for the second time, the US and other world powers agreed that Iran could keep 4,500 of its centrifuges active. The new round of nuclear negotiations will take place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, and the Associated Press states that the mentioned compromise could be turned into an agreement in this round of negotiations.