Secret Talks Between Washington and Tehran

Officials in US President Barak Obama's Administration told Time magazine that the president was involved in a secret "multiparty" negotiation with the Iranians "over the last four months".

The backroom talks began in June, when Iranian officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency their country was running out of fuel for an aging research reactor built for the Shah in 1967 by American technicians. Iran sought the IAEA's help in buying more of the specially manufactured plates of enriched uranium used in the reactor to produce isotopes for cancer treatment, X-rays and insecticides. The IAEA, in turn, discussed the request with the U.S. "We very quickly saw an opening here," says a senior Administration official involved in the multiparty negotiations that ensued, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Today, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said resumed talks between France, Russia and the United States, and Iran have got off to a 'good start'.
In the meantime Tehran is staying the course of sending mixed messages to the international community.
Iran's state-run Press TV cited unnamed officials in Tehran as saying the Islamic Republic was looking to hold on to its low-enriched uranium and buying what it needed for the Tehran reactor abroad.
Asked to comment on Iranian media reports claiming that Tehran may be reluctant to ship out its fuel, The head of the Iranian delegation, Ali Asghar Soltanieh refused to comment.