MANAMA, Bahrain, December 12, SPA -- Iran"s foreign minister says the country is ready to swap up to 2,600 pounds (1,200 kilograms of its enriched uranium for nuclear fuel rods, as proposed by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters in Bahrain Saturday that Iran suggested exchanging 880 pounds (400 kilograms) of its enriched uranium on Kish island in the initial phase. The International Atomic Energy Agency proposed in October Iran ship out its 3.5 percent enriched uranium to be further refined by France and Russia into fuel rods for a research reactor. The Associated Press quoted Mottaki as saying that Iran agreed with the deal in principle, there were only differences over the mechanisms of the swap. --SPA 14:25 LOCAL TIME 11:25 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/727265