'Iran moves uranium above ground'

[toomuchtime_]

Iran recently moved almost its entire stockpile of low-enriched uranium to an above-ground facility, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

According to a recent report by International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, roughly 4,300 pounds (1,950kg) of low-enriched nuclear fuel was moved all at once from storage deep underground to a facility where they can be enriched to 20 percent. 80 to 90 percent enrichment is required for nuclear weapons.

Iran’s inexplicable action, which has confused Western officials, exposes the material to an airstrike or even ground-based sabotage. The Times quoted one official as saying the move was tantamount to painting a bull’s-eye on the stockpile.

It is made even stranger by the fact that, when confronted late last year over a new underground nuclear facility in Qom, Teheran insisted that building the base was necessary to protect its uranium stockpile from the threat of an attack by Israel or the US.

'Iran moves uranium above ground'

The article goes on to speculate whether the reason for this move was political - taunting Israel/the West or inviting an attack for internal political reasons - or if Iran was forced to move its stockpile of enriched uranium to this more vulnerable location because of potentially dangerous technical problems in its underground facilities.

 

[waltky]

Uncle Ferd says dat pro'bly means dey got enough fer a nuclear bomb already...

Iran lawmaker: No need for more 20 percent uranium
Oct 23,`13 -- A prominent Iranian lawmaker said Tehran doesn't need any more 20 percent-enriched uranium, a news agency covering the country's parliament reported late Wednesday night, a key point in negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the West.

While lawmaker Hossein Naqvi Hosseini isn't a government spokesman nor a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team, his comments touch on a major concession wanted by Western powers - halting production of enriched uranium that could be used to build nuclear weapons. Hosseini's brief comments, published online by ICANA, did not say whether Iran will stop enrichment. "Tehran reactor fuel has been supplied and currently no need is felt for production of 20 percent-enriched uranium," Hosseini was quoted as saying.

Hosseini, who serves as a spokesman for the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, also said the country is prepared to relieve concerns over its stockpile of enriched uranium. "Tehran is ready to convert its stockpile of 20 percent-enriched uranium to fuel rods and remove concerns over its non-peaceful use," he was quoted as saying. He offered no other details about what steps Iran would take. Western powers fear Iran's nuclear program could be used to build an atomic bomb. Iran says its program is peaceful and is for advances in medical research and power generation.

Last week, Iranian diplomats met in Geneva with negotiators from the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iran hopes to ease the crippling economic and oil sanctions placed on its government over its contested nuclear program. Iran currently runs more than 10,000 centrifuges which have created tons of fuel-grade material that can be further enriched to arm nuclear warheads. Tehran also has nearly 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of higher-enriched uranium in a form that can be turned into weapons much more quickly. Experts say 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of 20 percent-enriched uranium are needed to produce a single warhead

Among key concessions wanted by the West, according to two diplomats who spoke with The Associated Press, is that Iran stop enriching uranium to 20 percent. The diplomats say Iran offered to halt 20 percent enrichment at last week's Geneva talks. However, the Iranian government hasn't publicly commented on that. Negotiators from Iran and the six powers are due to meet in Geneva for further talks on Nov. 7-8.

News from The Associated Press

 

[TheOldSchool]

[MENTION=27951]waltky[/MENTION] PLEASE start a new thread! This one is from 3+ years ago! I LOVE your posts! They deserve their own thread!