Iran must completely halt uranium enrichment: Israeli Defense Minister

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Speaking in Jerusalem, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has called on world powers to completely halt Iran's enrichment of uranium. He said a draft deal reducing Tehran's stockpiles doesn't go far enough to achieve this goal.

Ehud Barak said, "I reiterate that enrichment must be stopped in Iran. Not only should enriched material be removed, a short and limited time must be allotted for the engagement. We aren't in a position to tell the Americans whether it is necessary or not."

Iran has not said whether it will endorse a plan that Western diplomats say requires Tehran to send most of its known 1.5 ton reserves of low-enriched uranium to Russia and France by the end of the year. The material would be converted into fuel for a nuclear medical isotope reactor in Tehran. Iran says its program is intended solely for energy production.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, center, declines to speak to  reporters as he walks into the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem,  Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009.(AP Photo/David Silverman, Pool)