Iran"s chief negotiator in talks with Western powers over its atomic programme said on Sunday he hoped a draft deal on nuclear fuel would be reached soon, according to Reuters. "Tehran still welcomes the negotiations (with the six powers) on the basis of its package of proposals," state broadcaster IRIB quoted Saeed Jalili as saying. It said he hoped the talks "will be completed as quickly as possible". The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China want to persuade Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities in return for economic and political incentives. Tehran has so far refused to halt its enrichment. A U.N.-drafted nuclear proposal would see Iran sending most of its low-enriched uranium abroad by the end of the year for further enrichment before being returned to Iran as fuel for a medical reactor in Tehran. Iran says talks are needed on the nuclear deal and that wants to import atomic fuel rather than send its own uranium abroad for processing. The West accuses Iran of covertly trying to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its nuclear programme is peaceful, aimed at generating electricity to meet its booming domestic demand.
