Iran, Western Powers Schedule More Nuclear Talks

Talks in Geneva today over Iran’s nuclear program ended with a firmer commitment from Tehran to allow international inspectors into the newly disclosed enrichment site at Qom and an agreement to continue negotiations by the end of the month. The EU’s foreign policy representative said inspectors may be allowed into the Qom site within weeks, and added that Iran agreed to export some of its uranium to a foreign laboratory that would turn them into isotopes for medical use.

The export agreement is the first step toward getting Iran to agree to outsourcing its legitimate enrichment—a crucial control on enrichment for military purposes, Javier Solana explained. Iran’s foreign minister spoke positively about the talks: “We considered the atmosphere a constructive one, and we hope that the other side will have the same constructive approach to participating in this dialogue,” the New York Times reports.