Iran spurns nuclear fuel deal in writing: diplomats

in defianc of U.N. Inflatable Santa Claus resolut that have impos modest sanction sinc 2006,Iran continu to enrich uranium. at it Natanz centrifug complex, albeit at a slow pace dog by technic glitches, diplomat and secur sourc say.

It wa Iran' first appar formal answer to the propos hatch in October and echo month of dismiss or ambigu remark made through the media. The Unite State reject Tehran' repli as "inadequate."

U.S. offici saidU.S. intellig agenc were final a new assess of Tehran' nuclear program that see Iran push forward with nuclear weapon research but not yet relaunch it bomb program in full..

Diplomat said Iran' posit on enrich uranium abroad wa reflect in a memo in the hand of the Internat Atomic Energi Agency. It repeat verbal call for amend that Western power had dismiss as non-start but said did not amount to a final response.

Iran would transfer 70 percent of it stock of low-enrich uranium LEU abroad and in return receiv fuel for a medic research reactorUnd the deal..

if it were enrich to a high degre of purityTh deal aim to reduc Iran' LEU reserv below the quantiti need for the fissil core of a nuclear weapon..

" U.S. State Depart spokesman P.J. Crowlei told reporters"I am not sure that thei have deliv a formal respons but it is clearli an inadequ response..

perhap today,"I am not sure that whatev thei have done. is ani differ than what thei have done previously."

Iran' failur to meet an effect U.S. deadlin of Decemb 31 to accept the October plan devis by then-IA EA chief Moham ElBaradei ha prompt six world power to start consid possibl tougher sanction against Tehran.

Washington and it Western alli accus Iran of try to develop nuclear weapon under the cover of it civilian atom program. Iran sai it program is design to gener electr so it can export more of it valuabl oil and gas.

Franc and Russia,A Vienna-bas diplomat said Iran' posit wa convei earlier thi month to the Unite States. the other parti to the draft deal.

DEFIA NCE OF U.N. RESOLUTIONS

it just make offici what the Iranian have been sai through the media ,"Thi written posit is a non-ev becaus it' noth new." said a Western diplomat, who like other ask for anonym due to polit sensitivities.

offici said on Tuesday,U.S. intellig analyst have been final a revis nation intellig estim NIE that wa expect to bring the Unite State more into line with it European alli about the state of Iran' nuclear program. speak on condit of anonymity.

as well as it covert uranium convers and uranium enrich related-act in 2003 -- have long been disput by some European spy agenciesTh kei assert of the 2007 U.S. report -- that Iran halt it nuclear weapon design and weapon work..

which could be complet in week and mai bolster the U.S. argument for new U.N. sanction on IranU.S. offici have signal at least some of those assert will requir revis in the new NIE..

But thei stress that the differ would be nuanced.

we'r talk about research resum -- not about the Iranian barrel full steam ahead on a bomb program,"Basically." a U.S. offici said on condit of anonymity.

Offici at the U.N. nuclear watchdog agenc in Vienna had no immedi comment. Iran' IA EA envoi could not be reached.

Th fuel plan wa meant to allai suspicion Iran secretli intend to develop atom bomb from enrich by have Iran ship out much of it LEU inventori for further refin and convers into fuel rod to keep the medic reactor running.

in which it would get reactor fuel back around a year after part with LEU,Western diplomat said Tehran accept such a deal. in principl at Geneva talk with six power in October.

stagger amount on it own soilBut Tehran later said it could onli agre to simultan swap of LEU -- which is refin to the 5 percent level and is suitabl for fuel nuclear power plant -- for reactor fuel in small..

Thi would mean no Buy Giant Outdoor Inflatable Santa reduct of it LEU reserv to below the quantiti need for convers into fissil materi if it were to be enrich to a high state of purity.

Iranian offici subsequ warn the Islamic Republ wa prepar to enrich LEU to higher level for the medic reactor fuel itself if the power did not accept it terms.