Can Iran produce 20 percent-enriched uranium?

Posted by Matt in February 8th, 2010 | 1 comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Centrifuge Equipment, centrifuges, defiance, Enrichment Plant, Enrichment Plants, Fuel Enrichment, Fuel Rods, Grade Material, Heu, Inefficiencies, Intelligence Services, Iran Iran, Leu, Reactor, Small Quantities, Stockpile, Technical Prowess, U 235, Uranium, Weapon Grade

Yes. Though Iran may encounter some challenges, it is technically equipped to produce 19.75 percent enriched uranium at the Natanz Fuel Enrichment Plant (note, any uranium enriched to under 20 percent U-235 is classified by the IAEA as LEU; uranium enriched to 20 percent or greater is classified as high enriched uranium (HEU).
If Iran were [...]

Binyamin Netanyahu must decide whether to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities – Times Online

Posted by Matt in December 13th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, Career, Conflagration, Deserts, Difficult Decision, Iran Nuclear, Iran Online, Israeli Experts, Israeli Prime Minister, Launch, Military Strike, Mountains, Multitude, Nuclear Facilities, Point Of No Return, Radioactive Cloud, Reactor, Risk, Six Months

The moment is fast approaching when Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, may have to make the most difficult decision of his career — whether to launch a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities and risk triggering a conflagration that could spread across the Middle East.
Israeli experts believe the point of no return may be [...]

Iran ‘ready to swap uranium for fuel’ – CNN.com

Posted by Matt in December 13th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Cancer Research, Cnn, Foreign Minister, Iran Iran, Iranian Media, Islamic Republic Of Iran, Kilograms, Kish Island, Reactor, Republic Of Iran, Uranium

Iran is ready to give up some enriched uranium in exchange for fuel that would power a reactor used in cancer research, the country’s foreign minister said Sunday, according to Iranian media.
“We have explicitly declared that Iran is ready to exchange some 400 kilograms of 3.5 percent enriched uranium in Iran’s Kish Island and receive [...]

Report: IAEA demands visit to Syrian nuclear sites | Middle East Conflict

Posted by Matt in November 17th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, Syria, Azur, IAEA, jets, Led, Middle East Conflict, Reactor, Stockpiles, Syria, Uranium, Watchdog

According to the report, IAEA inspectors discovered enriched uranium in three sites besides Dir Azur, where IAF jets destroyed an alleged reactor in September 2007.
These findings have led the UN nuclear watchdog to suspect that Syria has uranium stockpiles.
Report: IAEA demands visit to Syrian nuclear sites | Middle East Conflict

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: ‘I Physically Felt the Radioactivity’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE

Posted by Matt in October 22nd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, Chernobyl Disaster, Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Decades, Experiences, German Photographer, Left Behind, News International, Online News, Radioactivity, Reactor, Spiegel, Spiegel Online

The Chernobyl disaster happened over two decades ago, but its effects continue to be as present as ever. German photographer Rüdiger Lubricht spent months documenting what has been left behind in the exclusion zone which now surrounds the stricken reactor. In an interview with seen.by, he talks about his experiences.
The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone: ‘I Physically [...]

The Significance of Iran’s ‘Secret’ Nuclear Plant – Council on Foreign Relations

Posted by Matt in September 25th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Council On Foreign Relations, Groups, Iran Nuclear, Natanz Facility, Natural Uranium, Nuclear Bomb, Nuclear Material, Nuclear Plant, Nuclear Program, Reactor, Spinning Tubes

This simply is not plausible as a plant for producing material for a civilian program.
This plant has no value for a civilian nuclear program. Its capacity is simply too small to add significantly to Iran’s ability to make fuel for a reactor. It is, however, well-sized to help Iran move quickly from nuclear material to [...]

Uranium found at second Syria site – IAEA

Posted by Matt in June 5th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, Syria, Associated Press, Atomic Energy Agency, Atomic Particles, Bbc, Centrifuge, Confidential Report, damascus, International Atomic Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran Nuclear Program, Israeli Missiles, Kibar, Los Angeles Times, Miamiherald, New York Times, Nuclear Arms, Nuclear Material, Reactor, Syria, Traces, Un Agency, Uranium, Washington Post

Last year, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) found particles of man-made uranium at the al-Kibar site in Syria, which was destroyed by Israeli missiles in September 2007.
Now in a confidential report obtained by the BBC, it says it has discovered new traces of uranium of a type not included in Syria’s declared nuclear material.
The [...]

I.A.E.A. Reports Iranian Nuclear Progress

Posted by Matt in June 5th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Atomic Energy Agency, Centrifuge, centrifuges, Containment, David Albright, Enriching Uranium, Enrichment Plant, Fep, Fuel Enrichment, Hexafluoride, International Atomic Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency, International Atomic Energy Agency Iaea, IR-2, IR-3, IR-4, Leu, Nuclear Fuel, Nuclear Weapons, Reactor, Security Council Resolutions, Shire, Surveillance Measures

A week before Iran’s presidential election, atomic inspectors reported Friday that the country has sped up its production of nuclear fuel and increased its number of installed centrifuges to 7,200 — more than enough, weapon experts said, to make fuel for up to two nuclear weapons a year, if the country decided to use its [...]

Iran: Plutonium or Uranium? Does it matter? Part 2

Posted by Matt in May 15th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Estimates, Grade Plutonium, Heavy Water Reactors, Insomnia, Iran, Kg, Nuclear Weapons, Physics, Reactor, Uranium, Variety

Arak Reactor
Heavy water reactors can convert uranium to high grade plutonium through a variety of physics we won’t discuss here, unless you suffer from insomnia. When completed, it is likely to produce sufficient amounts of plutonium for plutonium nuclear weapons; estimates suggest this reactor could produce 8 – 10 kg of plutonium annually. Though originally [...]

Biological Weapons Keep Syria Within Axis Of Evil

Posted by Matt in May 12th, 2009 | 1 comment

Published in Syria, axis, Biological Weapons, Chemical And Biological Weapons, Chemical Weapons, Chemical Weapons Program, Israel, Reactor, Syria

Syria has reportedly rebuilt the structure that housed the reactor bombed by Israel last year and has turned the site into a facility for manufacturing chemical and biological weapons.
Official sources stated Syria had significantly expanded its biological and chemical weapons program by doing so.
Read More…