Sensational headlines only play to Iran's obsessive need for celebrity in the muslim world at our (the west) expense. Yes, on paper they now have enough UF6, to make 2 bombs.....if they can enrich their fissile fuel to 90%+ from the miserable 3% that they have achieved so far with thousands of cascades running for years.
The most telling part of the report is on page 2, item 12. where Iran's best effort at refining is revealed. In three months they made about 2 pounds of about 20% U235. That is 1/16th of a bomb....in three months. Do the math, that's 4 years until they have, at least on paper, enough U235 for a bomb.
That's under ideal conditions. Going from 20% to 90% is much, much harder and more inefficient.
Iran has not brought online anthing but primitive IR-1 cascades and are years away from doing so.
There are other major obstacles before Iran can create a deliverable weapon and many ways we can interfere economically.
Here is the money question: Does Iran have the political will to endure increasing economic sanctions for the next 5-6 years before they can at least test a weapon?
You have a good point and a well presented case, gandalftb.
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My objective in following the activities in Iran is simple.
The jihad mentality of the certain mullahs and Ahmadinejad is dangerous. In essence, they have made it clear that the U.S.A. and Israel are their enemies.
If a nuke won’t work; maybe some other scheme/weapon(s) will work for them.
Their intense and focused effort to let us know how much they hate us should never be overlooked.
/mark
Thanks gandalftb, that was great — although I very much doubt there are going to be any increasing economic sanctions.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2525678/posts?page=6#6