Chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei plans to fly to Iran within days and persuade it to move its uranium enrichment program to Russia, the Austrian press agency reported Sunday.

Under a proposal being floated, Iran will be allowed to carry out an initial step in making nuclear fuel -- converting uranium ore into the uranium hexafluoride gas that is the feedstock for making enriched uranium. But enrichment itself will be done in Russia.

The European Union and the United States have endorsed the proposal as a way to ensure that Iran's nuclear program is for peaceful purpose.

But Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran's nuclear agency, had rejected the proposal, insisting the program must be carried out on Iran's own soil.

An Austrian diplomatic official, cited by the agency, downplayed Aghazadeh's reaction, saying it was given before he had seen the details of the plan, which would first be presented in its entirety to the Iranians by ElBaradei and senior agency officials traveling with him.

The IAEA Board of Governors will meet in the Austrian capital on Nov. 24 to discuss whether to refer Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2005)