Iran is seeking significant changes to a UN nuclear fuel deal that it has largely agreed to, according to state media. This could potentially disrupt the plan and make Iran vulnerable to stronger sanctions. The European Union's foreign policy chief and France's foreign minister have stated that there is no need to modify the UN draft, and have warned that Iran may face tougher international sanctions if it tries to alter the plan. One key aspect of the plan that Iran opposes is the requirement to send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad for processing all at once, a measure intended to reduce the risk of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists that its uranium enrichment is for power plant fuel only, not for nuclear weapons, but its past nuclear secrecy and limited UN inspections have led to suspicions in the West that Iran may be covertly pursuing nuclear weapons capability. According to an unnamed official cited by Iranian state Arabic-language satellite television station al Alam, Iran will give its response to the proposed agreement within 48 hours, a week after the deadline set by UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei. Al Alam reported that Iran will accept the general framework of the draft proposal but will request some important amendments. The specifics of the changes Iran will seek were not provided. Lawmakers have suggested that Iran should import foreign fuel instead of sending abroad much of its low-enriched uranium stock by the end of the year, as specified in the proposal. Iran's foreign minister mentioned on Monday that they may consider both options, indicating they may ship out less uranium than requested by big powers in order to delay the potential weaponization of enrichment for at least a year. The proposed agreement involves Iran sending the majority of its low-enriched uranium to Russia and France for further processing, with the resulting fuel plates being returned to Tehran for use in a research reactor that produces radio-isotopes for cancer treatment. Key agreements on this plan and U.N. monitoring of a newly-disclosed enrichment site were reached during talks in Geneva on October 1 between Iran and six world powers. A team of U.N. inspectors recently visited the new site, which Iran was required to reveal to the IAEA after Western spy services discovered it. Iran was granted temporary relief from sanctions on its oil sector after making promises in Geneva, but Western powers are emphasizing that they will not wait indefinitely for Iran to fulfill its commitments. The agreements made in Geneva are seen as tests of Iran's stated intention to use refined uranium for peaceful purposes, and as a starting point for more extensive negotiations on limiting Tehran's enrichment activities to address the ongoing conflict over its nuclear goals. While there were plans to reconvene in October, delays in the fuel proposal and ongoing inspections have made fresh talks this week unlikely. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner expressed concern about the ambiguous statements from Iran, stating that time is running out for them. The Middle East region is volatile and potentially dangerous. The situation is tense and the Iranians may not be able to delay action. This is a risky situation, according to Kouchner. If necessary, new sanctions could be implemented by the end of the year. EU ministers have already requested the EU to explore additional sanctions. ElBaradei stated that Iran must transfer the majority of its Low Enriched Uranium overseas in order to build trust. He emphasized the importance of this step in reducing tensions and building confidence. By removing this material, there would be a year of peaceful negotiations. This would give Iran the opportunity to prove that they are enriching uranium for peaceful reasons. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki stated that Iran will reveal its decision on the pact within the upcoming days. Alaeddin Boroujerdi, who leads parliament's Foreign Affairs and National Security committee, suggested that if any Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) is sent abroad, it should be done in small, gradual amounts. However, this proposal is unacceptable to Western and UN officials as it would not result in a decrease in Iran's overall LEU supply.