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Iran Moves Closer to Having Material for Bomb

(Washington Post) Glenn Kessler - Iran's formal notification Monday to a UN nuclear watchdog that it will begin producing higher-grade enriched uranium marks a new and potentially dangerous turn in Tehran's confrontation with the West over its nuclear ambitions. Iran's announcement means that it will be a significant step closer to possessing the raw material needed to build a nuclear bomb. While Iran does not have the expertise to build the specialized fuel rods needed for its research reactor, the main consequence of its decision appears to be moving up the enrichment ladder, according to David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington. Albright said 70% of the work toward reaching weapons-grade uranium took place when Iran enriched uranium gas to 3.5%. Enriching it further to the 19.75% needed for the reactor is an additional "15 to 20% of the way there." The uranium would need to be enriched further, to 60% and then to 90%, before it could be used for a weapon. "The last two steps are not that big a deal," Albright said. They could be accomplished, he said, at a relatively small facility within months.
2010-02-09 08:06:54
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