France removed from Iran uranium suppliers

France has been removed from the list of potential suppliers of highly enriched uranium for Iran, as talks are underway in Vienna between Tehran and three world powers.

Press TV had been earlier informed by sources close to the meeting that Iran might remove France from the list of bidders as Paris has failed 'to deliver its nuclear materials in the past'.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mohamed ElBaradei opened the meeting earlier on Monday in which delegations from Moscow, Paris, Tehran and Washington and the IAEA experts are present to discuss a deal to supply highly-enriched uranium for an Iranian research reactor.

Iran's IAEA envoy Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh will head the Tehran delegation in the talks, which are expected to run into Tuesday.

Western countries have proposed that Tehran exchange its low-level uranium with higher level.

However, Iran wants to directly buy highly-enriched uranium without sending its own low-level uranium out of the country.

The Vienna meeting follows agreements between Iran and the world's six major powers on October 1, when Iran agreed to discuss the purchase of highly-enriched uranium.

Iran, however, has warned that should the Vienna talks fail, it will opt to enrich uranium to the 20 percent it needs for the research reactor in Tehran.