Despite international complaints against its' uranium enrichment program, Iran insists that its' program is for peaceful purposes. Facing increasing world isolation as Russia and China join other world powers in condemning the enrichment of uranium. Iran remains constant that it is only enriching uranium for peaceful purposes and that international pressure is unfair.
The recent discovery of a concealed Uranium enrichment plant prompted the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency vote to censure Tehran when the board met Nov. 27th, with 25 (out of 35) board members voting "yes." It is the most definite measure that any world body has take in three years regarding the Islamic republic.
The resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council are reportedly "toughly worded." Demands include: halting uranium enrichment, answer questions about past uranium projects, open its' nuclear program to further inspection, and promise that its' not building weapons. Though at current rate of development the possibility of Iran having a basic fission nuclear weapon -the type used by the U.S. during WWII- is years off, and the possibility of a fusion weapon is not possible.
Uranium enrichment can come at several levels: slightly enriched, reprocessed, low enriched, and highly enriched. The last type is used in nuclear weapons, the first three are primarily used in reactors and heavy water processing plants. The Frodo facility, the concealed plant, was set to house 3000 uranium-enriching centrifuges.
According to Aliasghar Soltanieh, Iran’s IAEA ambassador, the resolution threatens to derail negotiations with world powers over its nuclear program. The country may also withdraw further IAEA access to Fordo and a nuclear reactor being constructed in Arak, Iran isn’t legally obliged to grant investigators admission to the sites.
On Oct. 21 Iran negotiated with representative from France, Russia, and the U.S. for a shipment of low enriched uranium, unusable in nuclear weapons, for a medical research reactor. The recent actions of the UN come in a long line of pressure tactics against Iran starting in 2006 where long before the discovery of uranium enrichment programs Iran has been accused of building "the bomb."
Iran is long noted for having large reserves of natural gas and oil but it maintains that its' nuclear power program is a means of energy and economic independence. Impressions that Iran is under an extremist regime with denials of the holocaust, denigration of Israel, and rumored support of Iraqi insurgents, give rise to fears that Iran could use any nuclear weapons to "wipe Israel of the map" and endanger regional stability.
In Western Asia several states have produced nuclear weapons including: Israel, India, and Pakistan with the collapse of the Soviet Union many former states have left over fission material.
As of yet no answers are forth coming from Iran other than they are pursuing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Written by Seamus Esparza
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