The United States has expressed hopes that Iran will still decide to accept the IAEA-backed proposal on a nuclear fuel deal.

The mid-October nuclear draft deal discussed in Vienna envisages Iran shipping out its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to be further enriched and later returned to the country for the Tehran medical research reactor. The idea was first floated by Washington.

"We're certainly hopeful that they will change their mind," US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood told reporters in Washington on Friday after the six world powers met in Brussels.

Wood also pointed out that the six powers would hold another meeting to discuss "next steps" but added that no date for a meeting had yet been determined.

"I don't know why Iran hasn't been able to say yes up until now," he added.

Replying to a question about Iran's refusal to send the country's low-enriched uranium (LEU) abroad, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki questioned the motive behind West's insistence to take Iran's LEU out of the country.

"Why do they [Western countries] insist on taking our 3.5-percent-enriched uranium out of the country?" Mottaki told reporters in a press conference before his trip to the Philippines on Saturday morning.

"Our 3.5-percent-enriched uranium is ready and their 20-percent-enriched uranium is ready, too. What's wrong with the simultaneous exchange of the fuel?" he added.

The US says no alteration will be made to the draft deal, insisting that Iran should accept it as it is.

Western countries have hinted that further sanctions may await Iran should it turn down the proposal.

HRF/TG/DT