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US, allies critical of new deal on Iran's nuclear program
President Barack Obama indicated Monday that he isn't satisfied with a deal that Brazil and Turkey have negotiated with Iran to send some of its nuclear fuel abroad because it fails to address Tehran's refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment program.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement acknowledging the effort, but he added that like Britain and France, the U.S. would continue negotiations at the U.N. Security Council on a resolution imposing tougher sanctions on Iran.
"The proposal announced in Tehran must now be conveyed clearly and authoritatively to the IAEA before it can be considered by the international community," Gibbs said, referring to the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency. "Given Iran's repeated failure to live up to its own commitments, and the need to address fundamental issues related to Iran's nuclear program, the United States and international community continue to have serious concerns."
It would be a "positive step" if Iran transferred low-enriched uranium off its soil, Gibbs said. He noted, however, the Iranian declaration Monday that it intends to continue producing low-enriched uranium in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions after an October deal collapsed.