Iran will seek two changes to a UN-drafted nuclear fuel deal, including shipping abroad its low-enriched uranium (LEU) in stages rather than all at once, a newspaper reported.

The newspaper Javan, without giving a source, also said Tehran wanted a "simultaneous exchange," receiving fuel for a Tehran research reactor at the same time as it ships LEU abroad.

The draft nuclear fuel deal was hammered out by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei in follow-up talks to an October 1 meeting between Iran and six world powers in Geneva, where Iran also agreed to open a new enrichment site for UN inspections.

Iran is expected to present its formal response to the proposed deal, which is meant to help ease tension over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.

Both conditions given by Javan are likely non-starters for Western countries which suspect the Islamic Republic is seeking to develop nuclear bombs. Tehran rejects the charge, saying its program is aimed at generating electricity.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would not retreat "one iota" on its nuclear rights but was ready to cooperate on issues regarding atomic fuel, power plants and technology.

"Fortunately, conditions have been prepared for international cooperation in the nuclear field," he said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad, broadcast live on state television.

"We welcome cooperation on nuclear fuel, power plants and technology and we are ready to cooperate." He did not say whether Iran would accept the deal or demand changes.

Opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi has sharply criticized the outcome of the October 1 talks, making clear he opposed the proposal to send enriched uranium abroad, a reformist website reported.

"The discussions in Geneva were really surprising and if the promises given (to the West) are realized then the hard work of thousands of scientists would be ruined," Kaleme website quoted Mousavi as saying, in a clear reference to the fuel plan.

"And if we cannot keep our promises then it would prepare the ground for harder sanctions against the country," he said at a meeting with pro-reform cleric Mehdi Karoubi, Kaleme reported.

For the world powers, the plan's appeal lies in reducing the stockpile of Iran's LEU below the threshold needed for conversion into highly-enriched uranium for an atom bomb.

This would buy about a year of time for negotiations on halting enrichment in Iran in exchange for benefits to forge a long-term solution to a standoff over its nuclear ambitions.

In Vienna, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog's mission to a newly disclosed plant in Iran said on Thursday the inspectors had a good trip but he declined to give any details.