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U.N. protests expansion of Iran nuclear program
Brice Tarleton
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: World
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recently announced that Iran is now capable of industrial-scale uranium enrichment, sparking an outcry from the United Nations and U.S. officials. Enriched uranium may be used to produce nuclear weapons.
This announcement defies two existing U.N. sanctions calling for Iran to suspend its enrichment program.
Uranium is enriched by converting uranium ore into a gas and spinning it through centrifuges to separate elements. Uranium enriched to low levels can power nuclear reactors. If enriched to high levels, however, it can be used in nuclear warheads.
Ahmadinejad announced the construction of 3,000 centrifuges, the first step towards building 54,000 centrifuges.
The European Union's Security Council unanimously agreed on March 24 to expand current sanctions. New developments prohibit the export of arms from Iran and restrict loans exclusively to humanitarian and development purposes.
The Security Council is requesting that Iran cease all enrichment activities, including the preparation of uranium ore, the installation of centrifuges used to separate uranium, and the insertion of gas into centrifuges. Additionally, Iran must suspend work on heavy water projects. A heavy water reactor could be used to produce plutonium, a viable alternative to uranium for a nuclear weapon.
Iran has 60 days to comply with the resolution and suspend the uranium enrichment program or face "further appropriate measures."
"Iran does not seek confrontation nor does it want anything beyond its inalienable rights," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to BBC News. "I can assure you that pressure and intimidation will not change Iranian policy."
Some experts are expressing skepticism that Iran could have assembled the complex systems necessary to enrich uranium on a large scale. Iranian officials have not presented any photographs or physical proof of such activity, making their claims difficult to verify.
This announcement defies two existing U.N. sanctions calling for Iran to suspend its enrichment program.
Uranium is enriched by converting uranium ore into a gas and spinning it through centrifuges to separate elements. Uranium enriched to low levels can power nuclear reactors. If enriched to high levels, however, it can be used in nuclear warheads.
Ahmadinejad announced the construction of 3,000 centrifuges, the first step towards building 54,000 centrifuges.
The European Union's Security Council unanimously agreed on March 24 to expand current sanctions. New developments prohibit the export of arms from Iran and restrict loans exclusively to humanitarian and development purposes.
The Security Council is requesting that Iran cease all enrichment activities, including the preparation of uranium ore, the installation of centrifuges used to separate uranium, and the insertion of gas into centrifuges. Additionally, Iran must suspend work on heavy water projects. A heavy water reactor could be used to produce plutonium, a viable alternative to uranium for a nuclear weapon.
Iran has 60 days to comply with the resolution and suspend the uranium enrichment program or face "further appropriate measures."
"Iran does not seek confrontation nor does it want anything beyond its inalienable rights," said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki to BBC News. "I can assure you that pressure and intimidation will not change Iranian policy."
Some experts are expressing skepticism that Iran could have assembled the complex systems necessary to enrich uranium on a large scale. Iranian officials have not presented any photographs or physical proof of such activity, making their claims difficult to verify.
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