UN report: Iran has enough uranium for three nuclear devices

Haaretz.com ^ | Yossi Melman

[Iam1ru1-2]

IAEA report finds Iran currently has 22 kilograms of uranium enriched at levels of 20 percent, and a total of 2.8 tons of uranium enriched at 3.5 percent.

Iran has accelerated its nuclear program and currently possesses a sufficient supply of enriched uranium to make three nuclear devices, assuming it speeds up enrichment to 90 percent, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The report was presented ahead of a discussion by the IAEA board of governors, as well as the organization's General Assembly, which will meet in Vienna this month. Iran nuclear plant in Bushehr, AP

According to the findings, Iran currently has 22 kilograms of uranium enriched at levels of 20 percent, and a total of 2.8 tons of uranium enriched at 3.5 percent. The material is being supervised by IAEA inspectors and Iran cannot make use of it for military purposes without this being known to the international community.

The report raises concerns, however, over what is described as Iran's consistent rejection of the IAEA decisions regarding the identity of the inspectors, and points out that in June Iran prevented two inspectors it did not like from entering its nuclear sites.

--snip--

Experts say the recent batch of sanctions are not deterring Tehran from its goal. Both Israeli and American intelligence organizations believe that if Iran continues to progress technologically at this pace, it will acquire military nuclear capability by 2014.

[Tzimisce]

Thank god they’re a peaceful state or I’d be worried.

[OldDeckHand]

Since nuclear weapons are made with highly enriched uranium, and not just uranium, it's a little misleading, the headline. If the current reports are accurate, Iran doesn't have enough enriched uranium for even one bomb today - if reports are accurate.

The WWII bombs were constructed with highly enriched uranium, something between 80-85%. I think that while it's theoretically possible to make a weapon - to reach critical mass, that is - with low enriched uranium, it's very difficult, and not very reliable.

The real question is how many centrifuges does Iran really have.

[Waco]

To be detonated in/on the USA, naturely.

[camle]

is it me, or does the number of cevices grow with each tellign of this story?

[Campion]

I don’t know if a bomb could be built with 20% EU or not, but if it could, it would be large, heavy, and inefficient — not suitable to put on a missile. Truck bomb ... maybe.

[OldDeckHand]

"Truck bomb ... maybe."

Yes, you're quite right. I should have also pointed out that the size would be enormous, as would the weight. If it would be truck-portable, it would have to be a very big truck.

Think how big even little boy was, and that was 85% HEU.

[OldDeckHand]

"Thank god they’re a peaceful state or I’d be worried."

Islamaphobe.

sarcasm