U.N. Finds Uranium in Iran Enriched to Higher Level

[alp227]

Source: NY Times

International atomic inspectors in Iran have detected traces of uranium enriched to levels of purity higher than the Iranians have previously disclosed, according to a new report on Tehran’s nuclear program made public on Friday.

The report, by the International Atomic Energy Agency, an arm of the United Nations based in Vienna, said its inspectors had taken environmental samples at a uranium-enrichment plant in a mountain bunker and discovered purities up to 27 percent.

While the report suggests that the finding could be an innocuous aberration, it is potentially significant because it moves Iran’s uranium enrichment closer to bomb-grade purity, even as world powers are in the midst of intensive negotiations with Tehran to go in the opposite direction.

The report said Iran had sought to explain the spike, found in February at its once-secret Fordo enrichment plant near the holy city of Qum, as possibly resulting from “technical reasons beyond the operator’s control.” But the report also said inspectors were doing more checking.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/26/world/middleeast/un-finds-uranium-in-iran-enriched-to-higher-level.html

[SoutherDem]

1. What % does it take to make a bomb?

I thought it was extremely high.

What should it have been.

I guess what I am asking are we talking about a real problem or just a conservative talking point as to why we need another middle eastern war.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. There is more in the article....

A senior Obama administration official agreed that “the most likely explanation” for the discovery was technical. If the energy agency had found uranium enriched to 30 percent or 60 percent, the official said, it would be greater cause for concern.

Still, major questions remain about the fate of Iran’s stockpile. Twenty percent enrichment is a short technical step from 90 percent, the purity needed to make an atomic bomb.

There is a possibility it could be a real problem, but most people in the know are saying this not as dire as predicted. The fact the Iranians are cooperating is a BIG setback to the conservatives, but will do little to stop the onslaught of propaganda (warmongers), which will also produce the propaganda from our side (the chicken littles).

[bemildred]

3. The standard for bomb grade seems to be 90%, but I've read that 20% will do in a pinch,

just very dirty and puny explosions, relatively speaking (heh.)

And when they talk about being just a short step, I believe they are talking about how long the enrichment process takes, which I guess would be considered in terms of getting to 90% or something on that order, which given the way purification works, makes sense, it likely goes much faster as purity improves, an exponential process.

Most of the time is taken up with purification, once you get the centrifuges running, and it appears to me that it is already the case that Iran could make a nuke if they wanted too, they would have one now if they wanted one, you have to realize this argument has been going on for quite a long time.

So the premise in the OP is: Iran does not have 90% enriched Uranium yet, but has the means to get there "quickly".

And that's the "threat", which Iran on the other hand likely views as a credible deterrent, which also still leaves them theoretically OK under the NPT, which allows enrichment for "peaceful purposes", not unlike say Japan, which could also make nukes quickly if they chose to, for example.

The argument about nukes appears to me to be not entirely baseless, but largely driven by other geopolitical considerations, Iran is a big country with large population and natural resources, and thus is seen as a threat in various ways by other parties that also see themselves as big-shots in oneway or another.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Iran has enough uranium for 5 bombs - expert

(Reuters) - Iran has significantly stepped up its output of low-enriched uranium and total production in the last five years would be enough for at least five nuclear weapons if refined much further, a U.S. security institute said.

The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a think-tank which closely tracks Iran's nuclear programme, made the analysis on the basis of data in the latest quarterly U.N. watchdog report which was issued on Friday.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/05/26/uk-nuclear-iran-uranium-idUKBRE84P04Q20120526

If refined much further..........a U.S. security institute said.

[may3rd]

5. only a few short years ago, the UN said Iran had no nuclear program

ow they report a small bump in purity?

Hoe much of a refined product is it really ?

not that it matters, they only want nuke power for the prestige and respect that comes with it.

Oh
how vain these mullahs be

[SkyDaddy7]

6. Thank-you President Obama for...

getting Iran back to the bargaining table through non-violent means...Had McCain won him & Netanyahu would have already attacked Iran!

Just sayin...

[The Wizard]

7. The New York Times

reported weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It's a propaganda rag promoting war for the corporate masters.

[SpartanDem]

8. From falsified evidence that US provided

the UN never backed the US assertion that Iraq had WMD. The UN found based inspections Iran had violated some provisions of the Non Proliferation Treaty. Screaming propaganda about this shows a lack understanding the situation.

[Cherchez la Femme]

9. Pravda-on-the-Hudson

I give them as much credibility as I would have regarding anything John Wayne Gacy ever said.