Report: US mulls letting Iran keep uranium enrichment facilities in nuclear deal
US President Barack Obama is considering the possibility of allowing Iran to keep uranium enrichment facilities on its soil, presumably for peaceful purposes, as part of a deal with Tehran over its disputed nuclear program, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
The report came as talks between Iran and world powers on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program were set to resume in Geneva on Tuesday morning.
Both Israel and Saudi Arabia oppose allowing Iran to enrich uranium on its soil, fearing that it would be used to produce nuclear weapons.
The Wall Street Journal quoted a senior US official as saying that Washington was willing to talk to Iran “about what President Obama said in his address at the UN General Assembly, and that is that he respects the rights of the Iranian people to access a peaceful nuclear program.” The official stated that what this entails is exactly the matter that is up for discussion.
A bipartisan group of US senators wrote to Obama on Monday, saying that if Iran first suspends all uranium enrichment, the US Senate will then agree to suspend its work on new sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The 10 signatories, among the most influential members on foreign policy in the upper chamber, proposed the “suspension for suspension” offer just as the P5+1 – the US, Russia, the UK, France, China and Germany were set to sit down for talks with Iran for the first time since the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
“The onus is on the Iranians to fulfill and implement a host of action items to include enrichment suspension, and in return, the senators are ‘willing to match,’” one congressional aide familiar with the letter told The Jerusalem Post. “But enrichment suspension remains paramount and [a] US military threat remains on the table.”
Iran entered negotiations last month with the goal of getting existing sanctions lifted. But for several months, Congress has worked to close loopholes in those penalties with new legislation.
“The intent of sanctions is to force Iran to halt and dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Once this goal has been accomplished in a real, transparent, and verifiable way, we will be prepared to remove existing sanctions in a measured, sequenced manner,” the senators wrote.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that now is the time to strengthen sanctions against Iran, not weaken them. Accordingly, Netanyahu has worked in the last weeks to sway the international community – including those in the P5+1 talks – not to accept any half-measures, asking them not to ease sanctions until Tehran halts its enrichment of uranium and removes the material from the country.
In addition, he said, Iran must dismantle its nuclear weapons program.
At the Knesset on Monday, the prime minister warned that a nuclear Iran was dangerous for Israel, the region and the world.
But, he noted, once Iran had nuclear weapons “it will direct them first and foremost at us. The Iranians have openly declared that this is their intention and therefore Israel cannot allow Iran, which has championed our destruction, to acquire nuclear weapons.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif has said a possible deal on the nuclear program with the West might include strict international oversight over low-level enrichment within Iran’s existing plants. But Iranian officials have said they will not remove enriched uranium from their country.
“If the Iranian government takes these steps in a verifiable and transparent manner, we are willing to match Iran’s good-faith actions by suspending the implementation of the next round of sanctions currently under consideration by Congress,” the letter said.
The bipartisan group of senators who penned the letter include Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina); Charles Schumer (DNew York); Roy Blunt (RMissouri); and John McCain (R-Arizona).
“If Iranian actions fail to match the rhetorical reassurances of the last two weeks, we are prepared to move forward with new sanctions to increase pressure on the government in Tehran,” the letter reads.
A resolution passed by the House of Representatives last August tightens sanctions against Iran significantly, by disallowing the continuation of waivers for companies within allied countries buying Iranian oil. The goal of the bill is to bring Iranian oil exports down to zero.
Similar language is being considered in the Senate, which is likely to address the bill in committee next month for a vote by the end of the year, barring any agreement with the Iranians.
“The critical test will be Iran’s proposal to the P5+1 this week in Geneva,” the letter reads, calling on Iran to abide by the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and all resolutions passed by the UN Security Council regarding its nuclear program.
The senators call for a “convincing threat of the use of force” to support the administration’s “sincere demonstration of openness” to peace talks.
“We reaffirm that a credible military threat remains on the table and we underscore the imperative that the current sanctions be maintained aggressively, and call on you to increase pressure through sanctions already in place.”
As the White House prepares for talks this week, a senior administration official says the US wants to achieve a deal with Iran that will allay the fears of all parties directly impacted by the country’s expanding nuclear program.
“No one should expect a breakthrough overnight,” a US official said. He added that Washington was ready to offer Iran rapid relief from economic sanctions if Tehran moved quickly to address concerns that the ultimate goal of its nuclear work was to make bombs.
Any potential sanctions relief, the official said, would be “targeted, proportional to what Iran puts on the table.”
“I’m sure they will disagree about what is proportionate,” the official said. “But we are quite clear about what the menu of options are and what will match what.”
Jpost.com staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
WarSclerotic 
October 15, 2013 at 9:34 AM
The muslim trojan horse in the White House is very effective……..I’m surprised that the US citizens allow this man and his crew to drive the USA to the wall….Where are those free and brave people ?
Watching baseball games, out surfing? Its terrible to see this once great nation led down the drain by its enemies….
October 15, 2013 at 11:00 AM
With the main stream media almost completely on the side of Mr. Hope and Change is it any wonder that the average Joe does not realize what is happening?
We are fighting an uphill battle and it is only thanks to the internet which makes sites as this one possible and thanks to other alternative media that we have any chance at all.
As far as I’m concerned, I will keep on fighting to spread the truth.
Keep fighting everyone.
μολὼν λαβέ
October 15, 2013 at 11:17 AM
…And what is truth, my friend? Are you ready to call 0bama by his real name? And I don’t mean Muslim or something like that. Figure first who r e a l l y is 0bama and only after that you – or we all – can deal with the problem. Who is he, who does he represent, who is he serving and why is he on the path of destruction. And if you still have doubts or searching for clues, consider this: He doesn’t like Israel very much. You need more? Let me know.
October 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM
Behind every truth A is one or many other deeper truths.
Whether these truths are known or not this does not invalidate A.
The truth that the sun illuminates the earth is not invalidated by the deeper truth that the light comes from nuclear fusions.
The media refuses to even report the most obvious truths.
His real name? Don’t know.
Many call him the Antichrist.
I’m not sure that he is THE Antichrist but I’m absolutely sure that he is AN Antichrist.
October 15, 2013 at 3:17 PM
He is that one. Many already know that.
October 15, 2013 at 3:19 PM
“Many call him the Antichrist” REALLY, have you checked you sugar lately?
October 15, 2013 at 3:54 PM
Its not the scope of this forum discussing this, but avoiding to see this person for what he really is wont help anyone. People in the US with standard levels of sugar, think that this man is on the path of destruction, designing a new brave world where no God is to be found anymore. Having a deceitful tongue, he promised and made people believe in him and his vision. And what is really his vision?
He will remake America and if millions will perish in the process so be it. He will bring the World on the edge of a great conflict, pretending he is seeking peace agreements with rogues nations.
He will betray Israel in its very moment of need – he is already doing it – and will sacrifice it for his own sake. He is playing with the feelings of his own people, transforming them into pawns on his chess political board, ”punishing” them for the ”shutdown showdown”” crisis. The web is full of his grotesque caricatures that tell more than one thousand words about who he really is. He is the darling of the leftist anarchist media lovers in the US, together with many hundreds of thousand of illegal immigrants, who will change the face of the USA for ever. He is the worse nightmare of the Americans and he is meaning business.
October 15, 2013 at 4:36 PM
“He will remake America and if millions will perish in the process so be it. He will bring the World on the edge of a great conflict, pretending he is seeking peace agreements with rogues nations.” Good grief Luis, REALLY? Do you think perhaps you may too much tunnel vision?
He does want to be a transformative President and move America away from certain past behavior, but that does not mean he’s the anti-Christ and wants to kill millions.
I believe he see a billion plus Muslims on this planet and thinks the world must find a way to deal with them. I, like many on this site think that will not be possible but I believe he thinks it will be.
I did not vote for this man, but I see no evil in him.
October 15, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Thank you, John. I completely agree.
Obama is an amateur ideologue who has made a terrible mess at home and abroad, in particular in the middle east.
Calling him the “Anti-Christ” is an idiocy. First of all, it gives him way too much credit. Secondly, it buys into occult nonsense that has no place here or anyplace else that deals with reality rather than fantasy.
I see naivete, ideological blindness, smug self-satisfaction and both political and governing incompetence.
I’m with John in seeing no “evil” in the man’s motivations.
October 15, 2013 at 4:56 PM
John, you are entitled of your own opinion. Like everybody else here, eventually. Being syndromic when trying to comment is not an answer. Pollyanna told me so. And 0bama is the Antichrist all right. There is nothing you can do about that. Really sorry.
October 15, 2013 at 5:23 PM
“Obama is an amateur ideologue who has made a terrible mess at home and abroad, in particular in the middle east.
I see naivete, ideological blindness, smug self-satisfaction and both political and governing incompetence.”
This pretty much says it all, and I completly agree.
October 15, 2013 at 5:27 PM
See, John?
I hope you’re as glad as I am that you decided to stick around !
October 15, 2013 at 5:52 PM
Thanks Joe, I always try to give my honest view without hyperbole, but don’t always succeed.
October 15, 2013 at 5:54 PM
“Many call him the Antichrist” REALLY, have you checked you sugar lately?
John, you have the bad habit of reading carelessly or deliberately misrepresenting what others are saying.
Or maybe it is you, who should check his sugar.
Once again, for you.
Read slowly.
Many call him the Antichrist.
This is an absolute factual statement. Whether you like it or not it is true that many call him the Antichrist.
Just google obama+antichrist and you will get about 4.7 million hits.
An extremely cautious estimate that of those 4.7 webpages only 10%
represent this view and not taking into consideration all those who don’t voice their opinion on the web we can calculate about half a million people who hold this view.
That is many.
Case closed.
October 15, 2013 at 6:05 PM
Artaxes…
The last polls taken show 15% believe that Iraq was directly involved in carrying out the September 11 attacks.
Would you defend that position simply because of the number of ignorant people who hold that belief?
“Many call him” OK. If in the context of a discussion of Obama’s public approval it is relevant.
You ended by labeling him “an” anti-Christ.
Care to elaborate what you meant by that?
October 15, 2013 at 6:08 PM
“Many call him the Antichrist.
I’m not sure that he is THE Antichrist but I’m absolutely sure that he is AN Antichrist.”
If it walks like a duck, if it talks like a duck. It’s a duck!
October 15, 2013 at 5:00 PM
“And 0bama is the Antichrist all right. There is nothing you can do about that. Really sorry”
All I can say to this is, WOW!!!!
October 15, 2013 at 5:14 PM
Then, say it, John. Keep on saying. Hehe…
October 15, 2013 at 12:59 PM
I do not no the absolute truth but i know that more sanctions like a total shutdown of irans oil export will expand the negotiating time and bring iran closer to the bomb and give them more reasons to use the bomb , they are already whit there back against the wall , no oil income no food-
Iran needs weeks perhaps months to reach nuke capability for sure no years.
October 15, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Luis – appreciate your comments a lot ! You know, right when BHO was elected, when he was celebrated like a messiah around the globe, I had this ”alarm sounding”….Could be you are right, some other reliable people say it too and I personally have an extremly bad feeling about him. I think one way or the other he will bring a lot of problems to the world. But, ”He who watches over Israel” will destroy his evil plans and bring Israel through all the troubled waters….
October 15, 2013 at 5:53 PM
I know exactly at what moment are you pointing to, we are talking here about that fateful night, when my phone didn’t stop ringing and our group here, in Israel, was worried regarding that man making his speech after he has won the elections and all thought he was the messiah talking to them. But we here knew to identify in him the False Prophet, The Deceiver, the Lying Messiah – Mashiah Sheker, in Hebrew. Yes, wingate. Don’t be surprised. There are Jews in Israel who are respecting Jesus and are aware of the antichrist. We should be.
October 15, 2013 at 5:42 PM
To Joseph, and, of course, to the ”John the Prophet”
Look, Joseph, when John react to my assertion – and Artaxes’ – regarding the real nature of 0bama, I didn’t fully react because, Joseph…you know ”John”, don’t you?
But when Joseph Wouk himself is entering in this argument, calling ” idiocy ” attributing to 0bama this ”title” – antichrist – we stop our journey and rest for awhile.
Having a table dirty and throwing all that mess on the floor will may be cleaning the table, but it will leave the floor – and the house – dirty. I advice any person before is making a certain statement – on ”idiocy”, for example – to take time and study the problem, first.
Certain non idiotic persons in Israel with studies regarding the religious phenomenon linked to the antichrist have reached the conclusion that by his means, his methods and rhetoric, 0bama is the classic type of antichrist. That became obvious after his relationship with Israel surfaced. Don’t let him blind you, Joseph.
Because he is doing just that right now.
There are empiric arguments to sustain the above opinion, however we wont use them in this stage. It will be far beyond the scope of this forum.
October 15, 2013 at 5:55 PM
Whatever Jewish scholars think about Obama, “Anti-Christ” is not part of their conclusions.
One need to believe in Christ for there to be an anti-Christ, no?
You know how much I value and admire you, Luis. But I called it an “idiocy” for a reason, despite my usual reticence.
Obama hatred is acceptable here, even expected. Birther, communist, anti-Christ remarks constitute hyperboles that lower the level of the discourse here to that of the street.
We can do without overstating the threat Obama represents. Reality is bad enough….
October 15, 2013 at 6:22 PM
”Whatever Jewish scholars think about Obama, “Anti-Christ” is not part of their conclusions.
One need to believe in Christ for there to be an anti-Christ, no?”
Yes, Joseph. The answer is no.
Certain Jewish Scholars know right now that 0bama is the Lying Messiah – Mashiah Sheker – and they have the arguments for that.
And, as a Jew, one can still believe in Jesus – Joshua Ben Yosef – as a Great Man, a great historical figure, loving people and the humanity and sacrificing Himself for them. He was recognized as Rabi at his time by religious jews and non religious alike. He is the symbol of humanity fighting for reaching The Father. He was also good. Pure good. So, when a dark figure is emerging from time to time from the sewers of the History, trying to represent all that is opposing the good and pureness that Jesus represented, such a figure is an antichrist, a deceiver, a layer. Such leaders have risen in the past and will rise in the future. Such a leader is at the pyramid top, in the US. And, Joseph, you can relate to this as a huge metaphor. After all, nobody here, between our respectable friends in Israel, is expecting 0bama to emerge from a dark cloud when demons are dancing around him. No, Joseph, is nothing like that.
Is more like ”leading from behind” and letting your minions to do your dirty job. I wander who is acting in these ways.
Loving you all, Luis.
October 15, 2013 at 6:28 PM
As a metaphor, I have no problem with it, Luis.
That was far from clear from the text I labeled an “idiocy.”
October 15, 2013 at 6:46 PM
When intelligent people are refusing to see behind the wall, they make the excuse of using that figure of style, which is a metaphor.
That is happening because the reality is traumatic, sometimes, for the human perception. No need for special glasses when seeing the reality. May be friends could help.
Anyhow, Joseph, this is one of the reasons that is good that you are ”in the air”, with us. A healthy, good fun discussion and good friends around are making us more optimistic and keeping high a sharp spirit.
Still loving you all, Luis.
October 15, 2013 at 6:40 PM
I wouldn’t call bible prophecy occult nonsense.
Especially when the Israeli prime minister quoted bible prophecy in his UN speech.
There are serious bible scholars, philosophers and theologians and then there are many many more sloppy hobby scholars, wannabe prophets, shady preachers with their own agenda and clueless amateurs posting on youtube and God knows wherelse who give bible prophecy a bad name.
Knowing that many times in history evil rulers like Nero, Djengis Khan or Adolf Hitler have been falsely identified as THE Antichrist I am very cautious not to make the same error.
That’s is why I am saying I’m not sure whether he is THE Antichrist.
But I’m absolutely sure of one thing he is AN Antichrist.
He does not only support abortion, homosexual ‘marriage’ and many other things that go against the Christian faith but he is very hostile to the Christian religion and to the traditional Church.
Moreover he is a master of lies and deception, carefully hiding his agenda. A trademark of an antichrist.
Then there is the qustion of evil.
You see, many people with good intentions where deceived in Csarist Russia by the communists.
These people helped to bring a regime to power that killed tens of millions of innocent people. Communist Russia caused the death of more people then Hitler did.
I call that a monstrous EVIL.
There is no doubt that the situation in Csarist Russia was really bad and needed to be changed but in this case the medicine was much worse than the disease.
This is how evil operates. Whether you call the author of evil satan or whether you call it other names. There are those who deceive people by telling them that they are doing something good when in fact they are doing something evil.
There are those who propose wonderful utopic solutions to the most serious ills of the world exploiting the desperation of human misery.
Many believe that they are doing something good not realizing that there work leads ultimately into death and slavery.
There are those who deceive others and there are those who are decived.
I leave it to you to judge which one Obavez is.
October 15, 2013 at 6:58 PM
Obavez is neither one. He is, to quote myself:
“Obama is an amateur ideologue who has made a terrible mess at home and abroad, in particular in the middle east.
I see naivete, ideological blindness, smug self-satisfaction and both political and governing incompetence.”
October 15, 2013 at 8:42 PM
I believe that you are too kind.
To be ideologically blind means to deceive yourself and others in the process as well.
But maybe it’s not either or. Maybe he is both deceived and a deceiver.
When we look at his childhood we see that from his very early age he was exposed to and undoubtedly influenced by people with radical communist views.
But that he is a deceiver, there can be no doubt.
When it comes to lying this guy makes Bill Clinton look like an amateur.
To lie is to deceive.
A last word about the connection with the antichrist and communism.
It were not some whacko Christians who made that connection.
It was Saul Alinsky whose son stated that Obavez learned the lessons of his father well, who dedicated his book “Rules for radicals” to lucifer.
“Lest we forget at least an over the shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins – or which is which), the very first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.”
Another one who makes a good case that the very founder of communism Karl Marx was contrary to widespread belief not an atheist but in fact a satanist is Richard Wurmbrand.
He was a pastor jailed and tortured in Chauchescu’s Rumania for many years and wanted to know why the communists hated Chrisitianity so much.
He quotes poems written by Marx like ‘Oulanem’ and ‘Pale Maiden’ which indicate that Marx was not an atheist who didn’t believe in God but rather that he wanted to dethrone God, be like the most high and take as many people as possible with him into the abyss.
From ‘Human Pride’:
“With disdain I will throw my gauntlet full in the face of the world,
And see the collapse of this pygmy giant whose fall will not stifle my ardor.
Then will I wander godlike and victorious through the ruins of the world
And, giving my words an active force, I will feel equal to the Creator.”
From “Pale Maiden”
“Thus heaven I’ve forfeited, I know it full well.
My soul, once true to God, is chosen for hell. ”
From “The Player”
“The hellish vapors rise and fill the brain,
Till I go mad and my heart is utterly changed.
See this sword? The prince of darkness sold it to me. –
For me beats the time and gives the signs.
Ever more boldly I play the dance of death.”
From “Oulanem”
“And they are also Oulanem, Oulanem.
The name rings forth like death, rings forth
Until it dies away in a wretched crawl.
Stop, I’ve got it now! It rises from my soul….
Yet I have power within my youthful arms
To clench and crush you [i.e., personified humanity] with tempestuous force,
While for us both the abyss yawns in darkness.
You will sink down and I shall follow laughing,
Whispering in your ears, “Descend, come with me, friend.”
One has not to be a Christian to realize that deception brought us into the very shit we are today.
Even Muslims acknolewdge this.
It all began with a lie in the garden when the devil told Eve that its OK to eat from the apple.
Again, this does not prove that Obavez is THE Antichrist. For me, it shows that he is AN Antichrist.
October 15, 2013 at 7:15 PM
My respect, Artaxes. An accurate synthesis of the present situation.
I and another couple of millions of people, understand perfectly what are you talking about.
The antichrist is a symbol. He cannot be a single and unique person in the History, because of the complexity of the evil and the dimensions of the badness in the world. Certain people are assuming that this title can be given to Nero, Roman Emperor and a Christians persecutor; also Hitler is a big contender here, and because of him, its agreed in certain circles that there were two men until now that can take this infamous title. So, many are waiting to see who is the ‘third” antichrist, because he is also linked with the ”last days”. Because of all the right – or not – reasons, 0bama is been thought as the ”third antichrist”. Even if he is not that 0ne, his methods, rhetoric and approach definitely put him in one of the first places for being a contender to the ”title”.
October 15, 2013 at 7:41 PM
Biblical prophecy or any other prophecy for that matter would have us believe everything is predetermined. Personally I do not believe that’s the case!
October 15, 2013 at 7:47 PM
Fair enough. But I – as Einstein(excuse my humbleness) – don’t believe that God is playing with dices. Do you want to discuss that?
October 15, 2013 at 7:51 PM
Even Einstein had his personal opinions. He for example used that phrase as an argument against quantum mechanics which today is a discipline that’s held in high regard by many scientists.
October 15, 2013 at 7:55 PM
Albert Einstein quoted this phrase this when addressing his friend Max Born over an issue of quantum mechanics in the 1920s. It is actually not remotely religious in nature, and just an expression of disagreement at the quantum theory concepts of mathematical divergence.
Einstein was resolute that the universe should be wholly predictable through physical laws, whereas ideas of Quantum mechanics were suggesting that some areas of prediction could be little more than an either/or/maybe pot luck. The use of the term god is only an allegorical illustration of Einstein’s belief in a constant steady law and is not a reference to any actual being.
Einstein would later come around to the concepts of quantum mechanics and spent the remainder of his life hunting for a grand unifying theory to link the macro world of relativity to the micro world of the quantum
October 15, 2013 at 8:01 PM
Very good, John. And true. And here is the greatest paradox of all: the existence and the ideas of the Quantum Mechanics, which was elaborated exactly to ”demonstrate” that a determinist God ”doesn’t exist” – the same quantum mechanics is today the most spectacular prove that God does exist and He is also The Great Architect, too. I’ll elaborate only if there is anybody here who has an interest in this issue.
October 15, 2013 at 8:14 PM
We all have our personal beliefs, and since we are really no more than fish in a fish bowl none of us can truly know for sure what’s going on. Since we do not really know what’s possible, anything is possible. My personal belief, there is a creator but predetermined nothing
October 15, 2013 at 8:21 PM
I like those lines of yours, John. I don’t agree with certain parts of them, but that’s perfectly ok. And I like your new writing style, too.
Seriously.
October 15, 2013 at 8:32 PM
Thank you Luis, we learn as we go!