Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Iran Has Enriched Uranium to 27%

Diplomats share findings of confidential IAEA report

By Mark Russell,  Newser Staff

Posted May 25, 2012 9:48 AM CDT

(Newser) – Iran was already making the world nervous with the revelation it was enriching uranium to 20% at its Fordo facility. But now the IAEA says it has found traces of uranium enriched up to 27% at Fordo, according to a confidential report to be released to IAEA board members today. That's still well below the 90% needed for nuclear weapons, but it's a step closer to that threshold, reports the AP. The diplomats who spoke to the AP about the report caution that the higher enrichment may not be intentional; it's possible technicians over-enriched it by accident as the new facility was getting started. Talks in Baghdad aimed at getting Iran to reel in its nuclear enrichment program ended without any agreement.

A photo from  Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 of  the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran.
A photo from Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran.   (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
4%
12%
0%
6%
56%
22%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 20 comments
jgarbuz
May 26, 2012 8:32 PM CDT
NPT Article III 1. Each non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes to accept safeguards, as set forth in an agreement to be negotiated and concluded with the International Atomic Energy Agency in accordance with the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Agency’s safeguards system, for the exclusive purpose of verification of the fulfilment of its obligations assumed under this Treaty with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. Procedures for the safeguards required by this Article shall be followed with respect to source or special fissionable material whether it is being produced, processed or used in any principal nuclear facility or is outside any such facility. The safeguards required by this Article shall be applied on all source or special fissionable material in all peaceful nuclear activities within the territory of such State, under its jurisdiction, or carried out under its control anywhere. 2. Each State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to provide: (a) source or special fissionable material, or (b) equipment or material especially designed or prepared for the processing, use or production of special fissionable material, to any non-nuclear-weapon State for peaceful purposes, unless the source or special fissionable material shall be subject to the safeguards required by this Article. 3. The safeguards required by this Article shall be implemented in a manner designed to comply with Article IV of this Treaty, and to avoid hampering the economic or technological development of the Parties or international co-operation in the field of peaceful nuclear activities, including the international exchange of nuclear material and equipment for the processing, use or production of nuclear material for peaceful purposes in accordance with the provisions of this Article and the principle of safeguarding set forth in the Preamble of the Treaty.
JoeQ
May 25, 2012 7:02 PM CDT
It'd be nice to know what clause of what treaty this violates.
Tscare
May 25, 2012 12:09 PM CDT
Guys is it me,or are we the hypocritical with out comments I mean,The US does have the most Nukes,and the most powerful ones of them too And we do have uranium enriched to ... like 1000% purity =P Enrichment to 27% Is laughable,and what if they used it for nuclear power ? The more the better? 
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   World History Project   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne