Tehran Has Enough Fuel for Nuclear Bomb

Iran has more uranium than thought, says UN agency

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 19, 2009 9:50 PM CST

(Newser) – Here's news that won't cheer Washington as it figures out how to deal with Iran: A UN agency says the nation now has enough uranium to build a nuclear bomb. In order to do so, Tehran would have to refine it further and kick out inspectors. But it reached this threshold of low-enriched uranium about a year earlier than expected, the Financial Times reports.

One nuclear expert in Washington told the Los Angeles Times that he was "blindsided" by the report. "We are surprised," he said. "We did not expect this." But he noted that it represents only the "capability" of moving ahead with a bomb, not a decision to do so. Tehran would have to violate international treaties to take the next step, and so far it has shown no signs of doing so.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks in Kermanshah, Iran, Wednesday Jan, 28, 2009. (AP Photo/ISNA, Saman Aqvami)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad delivers a speech in the city of Shahr-E- Kord, Iran, last June. (AP Photo/ISNA, Saman Aghvami)

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It appears that Iran has walked right up to the threshold of having enough low enriched uranium to provide enough raw material for a single bomb.
- Peter Zimmerman, a former chief scientist of the US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

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COMMENTS

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Showing 2 of 2 comments

Shannonals

Feb 20, 2009 3:14 AM CST

No amazemen there

Observer

Feb 19, 2009 10:18 PM CST

You mean like Israel did 25 years ago. (violate international treaties) This may make it a more equal fight. Whoever lights one up loses permanently. Disarm ALL of the Middle Eastern Idiots no matter their persuasions. One big bang F--ks us all together. Bend over and Kiss your ass goodbye!

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Iran • United Nations • nuclear weapons • International Atomic Energy Agency • enriched uranium

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Tehran Has Enough Fuel for Nuclear Bomb