'Fresh ideas' mooted to close gap in US-Iran N-deal talks

WASHINGTON Trump's statement suggests that that US is ready to accept Iran's 'red line' - the right to enrich uranium - which Iran insists cannot be violated by any agreement. Iran demands domestic enrichment to 3.67 per cent for use in civilian power plants. The US previously flip-flopped on this issue

- Michael Jansen, Political Correspondent

Donald Trump has said he warned Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu against attacking Iran because Washington and Tehran are close to reaching a deal on limiting that country's nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions. He said this would be an unprecedented agreement as US as well as UN inspectors would be included on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) teams monitoring Iran's nuclear sites.

His declared objective is to make certain Iran is not preparing to make nuclear bombs.

Trump's statement suggests that that US is ready to accept Iran's “red line” — the right to enrich uranium — which Iran insists cannot be violated by any agreement. Iran demands domestic enrichment to 3.67 per cent for use in civilian power plants. The US previously flip-flopped on this issue. Washington demanded total shutdown of the nuclear programme, then agreed on low enrichment.

The programme was launched in the 1950s when the US provided a nuclear reactor to Iran under the Atoms for Peace Programme long before the shah was toppled by anti-US clerics in 1979.

To reassure the US and regional neighbours over its retention of a low level of enrichment, Tehran has suggested creating a consortium comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Iran. Tehran would make partners shareholders in exchange for funding and give them access to its technologies and provide them a with stake in developing an independent capacity for nuclear power generation.