President Ahmadinejad declared Iran a “nuclear state” today, saying that scientists had produced the first batch of highly enriched uranium, a leap towards the production of weapons-grade fuel.
Mr Ahmadinejad told crowds of cheering supporters that Iran was capable of going all the way to weapons grade but would not do so because “we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb”. “When we say we do not manufacture the bomb, we mean it, and we do not believe in manufacturing a bomb,” he proclaimed. “If we wanted to manufacture a bomb, we would announce it.”
Iranian scientists began work on Tuesday to convert existing 3.5 per cent enriched uranium stocks to the higher 20 per cent level, sparking global condemnation and a renewed push for a vote on United Nations Security Council sanctions.
Tehran claims that the higher grade is needed to fuel a research reactor producing medical isotopes, although that has been dismissed by experts who note that Iran lacks the technology to make the fuel rods it requires for that purpose.
Western governments and even Russia, Iran’s long-time ally, warned that the move raised serious doubts about the Iranian nuclear programme.
David Albright, the director of the Institute for Science and International Security, said that scientists could have produced only a “tiny amount” of the higher enriched uranium in the two days since production began.
Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, reported that the Iranians had only one cascade of centrifuges in their Natanz enrichment plant capable of enriching up to 20 per cent.
The report said Iran has informed the UN nuclear watchdog that it intended to enrich only a small amount of uranium to 20 per cent purity — about 10kg. More than 1,500kg of low enriched uranium would be needed to yield enough fuel for a nuclear bomb.
Mr Ahmadinejad questioned the international furore surrounding Iran’s move. “Why do they think that 20 per cent is such a big deal?” he asked.
“Right now in Natanz we have the capability to enrich at over 20 per cent and at over 80 per cent, but because we don’t need it, we won’t do it.”
Foreign governments contend that Iran does not need to enrich at all and certainly not to 20 per cent, far above the level required for reactor fuel. Iran has been ordered to stop enrichment in five separate UN Security Council resolutions until it can disprove evidence of military intentions.
Western countries have long suspected that Iran’s alleged civilian nuclear programme is a cover for weapons development. Iran has only one reactor for energy production and fuel for that is supplied by its Russian manufacturers.
On Wednesday, the United States Treasury froze the assets of a key general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and those of four construction companies he runs that are alleged to be involved in building nuclear facilities.
The move gives a taste of the kind of sanctions under discussion for a Security Council vote, which Washington is pressing to table before the end of this month. Washington has already drawn up a list of potential sanctions targets, mostly companies and financial institutions controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, highlighting the extent of military control over Iran’s economy.
Britain and France have signalled their strong support for UN sanctions and Russia’s objections have fallen away in recent days. But Washington faces an uphill battle to win over China because of its massive economic interests in Iran. President Obama has played on fears of an Israeli attack on Iran and the disruption to trade with the Gulf that it would entail.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article7023727.ece
