Iran has delayed its response to a United Nations-backed uranium enrichment plan aimed at easing international concerns that Iran's nuclear program is being used to develop weapons.
Iranian state television quoted Ali Asghar Soltanieh on Friday as saying his country is still considering various aspects of the proposal, under which Iran would ship much of its partially enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment.
The uranium would then be used to fuel a research reactor.Soltanieh says Iran is looking at details and will respond to Mohamed ElBaradei, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by the "middle of next week." Iran was to respond by Friday.
The other parties involved -- the United States, Russia and France -- approved the deal ahead of the deadline. IAEA said Friday that Iran told ElBaradei that it is considering the proposal in a "favorable light."