Agence France-Presse,
24 January 2010

Ahmadinejad promises "good" news on Iran nuclear plans

TEHRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Iran will declare "good news" concerning nuclear fuel plans when the nation marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution next month, local news agencies reported.

When asked by reporters about Iran`s deadline to the West over the nuclear fuel deal and when Tehran will produce 20 percent enriched uranium, Ahmadinejad said: "During the 10 days of dawn (February 1 to 11), we will announce good news in this regard," the Mehr news agency quoted him as saying.

"This news is so sweet that it will make any Iranian and any freedom loving person in the world happy. This news is about Iran`s scientific advancement," the Fars news agency quoted him as saying.

The UN atomic watchdog has offered a proposal which sees the bulk of Iran`s low-enriched uranium being sent to Russia and France for further enrichment to 20 percent level and then returned as fuel for a Tehran research reactor.

Iranian officials, however, have offered a counter-proposal of a phased fuel swap and foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki gave the West a one-month "ultimatum" to accept the Iranian plan.

Iranian officials have threatened that Tehran will enrich uranium on its own to the 20 percent level if the West fails to meet its end January deadline on the counter-proposal.

World powers led by Washington are against Iran enriching uranium, the core of the controversy concerning Tehran`s nuclear programme.

They suspect Iran is enriching uranium to make atomic weapons, a charge denied by Tehran which says its nuclear programme is solely aimed at generating electricity.