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 The launch of the facility would show Tehran's commitment to the
landmark Nov. 24 deal as it holds talks with the United States,
Russia, France, Germany, Britain and China on a long-term settlement
of the dispute over its atomic aims.
The major powers want Iran to significantly scale back its nuclear
programme to deny it any capability to quickly produce atomic bombs.
Iran says its activities are entirely peaceful and want crippling
sanctions lifted as soon as possible.
In view of still wide differences in positions, some diplomats and
experts believe the negotiations - and the preliminary agreement -
may need to be extended. [ID:nnL6N0PL4FK]
But a spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine
Ashton, who leads the negotiations on behalf of the powers, said
they remained determined to try to get a comprehensive agreement by
a self-imposed July 20 deadline.
"We see seriousness also on the other side," Michael Mann told
reporters. "It is difficult, there are still significant gaps, but
that is not a surprise. We are talking about very complicated
technical issues and also very complicated political issues. So we
are working hard to try to narrow those gaps."
 Under the initial accord that runs for six months until July 20,
Iran is supposed to convert a large amount of low-enriched uranium
gas into an oxide form that would be less suitable for processing
into nuclear bomb material. It was one of the terms of the deal that
won Tehran some easing of sanctions.
To be able to do that, it has been building a facility near the
central city of Isfahan for turning the gas into powder.
After months of delays, the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) in May said the plant's commissioning had begun, but it was
still not operating.
Since then, however, the sources said practical steps had been taken
indicating the work could start soon, if it had not already. They
include removal of IAEA seals on a uranium gas cylinder, necessary
before connecting it to the conversion line.
With time running short, the issue is closely watched by diplomats
monitoring Iran's compliance with the November accord.
It was negotiated to buy time for talks on a permanent agreement
intended to remove the risk of a new Middle East war over Iran's
nuclear aspirations.
Those negotiations began in February and resumed last week in Vienna
with the aim of reaching an accord to replace the interim deal. With
less than ten days to go before the deadline, U.S. Secretary of
State John Kerry and some of the other big power foreign ministers
will join the talks this weekend.
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BIGGER URANIUM STOCKPILE
While Iran under last year's agreement halted its most sensitive
work, enrichment to a fissile concentration of 20 percent, it is
allowed under the pact to continue producing uranium gas refined to
up to 5 percent.
However, reflecting Western concern also about this reserve, Iran
undertook not to increase it so that it is not larger by the end of
the half-year accord than what it was when it took effect on Jan.
20, Western diplomats have said.
Because of the conversion plant's delay, the low-grade uranium
stockpile has grown to nearly 8.5 tonnes in May from 7.6 tonnes in
February, according to IAEA reports. Experts say Iran will be able
to convert a large amount in a relatively short time once the
facility required for this is up and running.IAEA reports have shown
that Iran is meeting all the other requirements under the interim
agreement.
Iran says it is producing low-enriched uranium to fuel a planned
network of nuclear power plants, not to develop bombs. Uranium must
be enriched to a high degree - about 90 percent fissile purity - for
a nuclear weapon.
Experts say Iran potentially has enough of this kind of uranium gas
for a few nuclear weapons if enriched much further. Limiting its
overall enrichment capacity is one of the thorniest issues in the
negotiations on a final deal.
(Editing by Andrew Roche)
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