VIENNA: The International Atomic Energy Agency says it has received an "initial response" from Iran on a proposal calling for Tehran to ship much of its enriched uranium abroad.

The agency says that IAEA head Mohamed Elbaradei is consulting with Iran and other countries that would be involved in the deal "with the hope that agreement on his proposal can be reached soon."

Thursday's IAEA statement gave no details of Iran's response.

The West hopes Iran will agree to send 70 percent of its low-enriched uranium to Russia in one shipment for further enrichment as fuel for a research reactor. Shipping out that amount in one batch would not leave Iran with enough material to make weapons-grade uranium should it decide to make a warhead.

But Iran has signaled objections to exporting so much in one batch.