U.S. remains waiting Iran's "formal response" on nuclear deal

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States said on Thursday that it is still waiting for Iran's "formal response" to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s proposal to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

The U.S. government is keeping close contact with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei over Iran's pledge to make official response to IAEA's proposal, Statement Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters at the daily press briefing.

"We are in very close consultation with him, that we need further clarification. And I think it's also fair to say that we need to have a formal response from Iran," Kelly said hours after the IAEA said it had received a response from Tehran without giving any details of its contents.

The nuclear-fuel talks held in Vienna among the United States, Russia, France and Iran concluded last week without a final agreement but a proposal from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to be mulled.

The IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei proposed that the enriched uranium with a higher purity needed for research reactor in Iran would be produced abroad.

Describing ElBaradei's proposal as "a good proposal," Kelly said that "There is complete unity among the four parties: the U.S., France, Russia, and the IAEA" on Iran's nuclear issues.

"We don't dispute the right of Iran to a peaceful nuclear energy program. What Iran has to do, though, is respond to the very real and legitimate concerns about the international community about the nature of that program. And we need to have more transparency and Iran needs to raise the level of confidence among the international community," the spokesman added.

Iran said it would inform the IAEA before Friday its decision on the United Nations-drafted deal for Tehran to send low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

The United States has voiced its support for the UN-drafted proposal that the enriched uranium with a higher purity needed for research reactor in Iran would be produced abroad.