Iran increases its enriched uranium stockpile despite UN-US sanctions

[News_Editor]

Iran increases its enriched uranium stockpile despite UN-US sanctions

2010-10-21 05:08:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- Iran on Wednesday announced that it has increased its stockpile of enriched uranium to supply fuel to the Tehran research reactor despite the UN-U.S. sanctions, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said after a cabinet meeting in Tehran that the Islamic country has produced so far 30 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium.

Iran has now doubled its stockpile of 20 percent enriched uranium after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered AEOI to start domestic plans to supply fuel for the Tehran research reactor which currently produces radioisotopes for medicinal use.

Iran continued its production of enriched uranium despite that the United Nations Security Council demanded the Islamic country to stop all enrichment immediately. At that moment, Iran sought other ways to acquire enriched uranium to fuel its nuclear reactor.

Ahmadinejad's government proposed a deal to send 3.5 percent enriched uranium in exchange for the 20 percent enriched uranium needed for the nuclear reactor. After meetings with the Group 5+1 in Geneva, France and the U.S. were selected as potential suppliers but did not agree on the swap immediately and told Iran to wait several months.

Iran could not afford running out of fuel for its reactor and signed a deal with Turkey to swap 1,200 kilograms of 3.5 percent enriched uranium for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium. The document was called the "Tehran declaration" and was backed by Turkey and Brazil.

However, the proposal was blocked by the U.S. on claims that Iran was at least a year away from having the capability to build a nuclear weapon and the United Nations suspicions on the intentions of the Iranian nuclear program. Instead the U.S. and the UN enacted a series of sanctions on Iran's finances.

Iranian scientists discovered that it would take only two to three months to further enrich its nuclear stockpile and turn it into metal nuclear rods for the Tehran Research Reactor. Using its own uranium mines, Iran is now capable of producing five kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium per month.

"We have found good veins in Gachin uranium mine in Bandar Abbas (Southern Iran) and we are preparing the ground for its exploitation," Salehi said and added that Iran is also about to extract uranium from the mines in Saqand and Narigan in central Iran.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-10-21

[nong38]

This getting scary, if they are getting close to developing a bomb what will the UN do? Probably nothing, The US? The Isreali's are now that is where we light the blue touch paper. The thought of nuclear material being blown up in other parts of the world is not a nice thought, thanks Mr Armadinnerjacket.

[hobanse]

here we go again.

Just USRAEL propaganda war!

Still remember the Iraq WMD LIE?