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Going Critical: Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Reactor Starts Up

(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) - Going Critical: Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Reactor Starts Up - Simon Henderson and Stefanie Peterson At a ceremony near the southern Iranian coastal city of Bushehr this Saturday, Russia will begin the process of loading fuel rods into Iran's first civilian nuclear reactor. The low-enriched uranium in the fuel rods would, if diverted, substantially increase Iran's existing stock of the material, which many suspect is already being used to develop nuclear weapons. Even if they were used solely for electricity generation, the rods would eventually produce plutonium-rich residue that could also be reprocessed for use in a weapon. For Iran, the Bushehr event will be a gesture of defiance against U.S.-led international pressure; for Russia, a sign of Moscow's different diplomatic approach to the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran; and for the U.S., an exception to the tightening sanctions regime, which officials claim is forcing Tehran to reconsider the wisdom of its policies.
2010-08-19 07:47:17
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