Moscow alarmed about Iranian nuclear program

Iranmania ^ | April 23 2003 | AFP

[knighthawk]

MOSCOW, April 22 (AFP) - Russia is concerned that Iran may be enriching uranium with a view to developing nuclear weapons, Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said on Tuesday, quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency.

Rumyantsev referred to US press reports that Tehran had equipped a nuclear complex with the capacity to enrich its recently-disclosed uranium deposits, sparking fears that the country may be stepping up a covert weapons program.

"Such centrifuges are capable of enriching uranium to a high enough concentration for developing weapons," he said. "If the media reports are accurate, the situation is alarming."

"Iran must acknowledge these activities and allow an inspection" by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said.

Iran in February revealed that it was building an array of facilities to exploit uranium deposits which would make it self-sufficient in nuclear fuel.

IAEA inspectors were later shown a network of centrifuges designed to enrich uranium at a facility near the northwestern Iranian city of Natanz.

The US news magazine Time shortly afterwards quoted diplomatic sources as saying work on the Natanz plant was "extremely advanced" and involved "hundreds" of gas centrifuges ready to produce enriched uranium and "the parts for a thousand others ready for assembly".

Washington has branded Iran a "rogue state," charging that it had "a far more robust nuclear weapons development programme" than previously believed.

Russia has come under fire from the United States for helping construct the Bushehr nuclear reactor in southern Iran and promising to provide fuel for it.

Both Moscow and Tehran have denied that oil-rich Iran is engaged in a covert nuclear weapons programme, and have said Bushehr will provide nuclear energy for peaceful means.

Moscow last month turned the tables on Washington by charging that some of the United States' "closest allies" were supplying Iran with nuclear equipment.

"According to these press reports, this has been achieved thanks to technology from a US company," Rumyantsev reiterated.

"On the one hand the United States criticises Iran and Russia for cooperating in building a nuclear reactor, while on the other a US company is planning to build a powerful uranium enrichment factory," he charged.

Rumyantsev has claimed that centrifuge machines discovered in Iran were made by the Anglo-Dutch consortium Urenco, which provides uranium-enrichment services for nuclear power plants.

Urenco, which is due to take part in a US consortium building an enrichment plant in the United States, denied the claim.

[RusIvan]

Russia has been supporting Iran's nuke program.+++

I don't think so.
Russia sells defensive conventional arms for US dollars.
Russia sells energy nuclier reactor under approvement of ICAE.

You show plz proves that Russia sells WMD technology? Until then you are wrong.

[RusIvan]

The Russian and Chinese leaders are still committed to their objective of world domination and believe that, disguised as 'democrats', in accordance with Leninist teaching, they will be able to achieve it..+++

I don't know nothing about China.
But Russia and Leninist teaching? It sounds ridicluous.
Russia is capitalist country.

Yes they are many former beuracrats and today capitalists in Russia but there wasn't others then them available.

They don't ally with China. They rather worry about China.
What they want now is money not world domination.

[RightWhale]

Russia has been supporting Iran's nuke program

Nuke is short for nuclear. That is, all things that use nuclear processes such as splitting or merging nuclei. It could be weapons, but it also includes municipal power production and medical instruments. It might even include illuminated watchdials and commercial food preparation.

[Destructor]

"Who's going to be the threat once we start dealing with Iran?"

Don't forget about Kalifornia. They're closer than any of those other countries.

[RusIvan]

Nuke is short for nuclear.++

Ok I got it. But here on FR I frequantly saw the use of "nuke" in sense of warhead. WMD.

"Nuclier" on other hand is more for civilian atomic.
So Russia sold that reactor but as I red in press the russian experts believe that iranians can't extract nothing weapon class from it.

[RightWhale]

the russian experts believe that iranians can't extract nothing weapon class from it.

That is probably true. Russian atomic sciencists are highly capable, and Russia wouldn't export that kind of tech, no one who is sane would do that.

[Orion78]

So what do you think about the North Koreans having Nuclear Weapons? They have Plutonium Nukes. Thats Russia's speciality isnt it?

[Orion78]

PING!

[Orion78]

The Russians were only supposed to sell the reactor under the terms that they remove the spent fuel rods afterwards, so they couldn't be used for WMD's. However, it has been reported, now that Bushehr is almost finished, that the Iranians have a Gas Centrifuge Plant and will provide their own fuel. It should also be noted that a Gas Centrifuge Plant can enrich Uranium up to Weapons-Grade quality. Right RusIvan?

[RusIvan]

So what do you think about the North Koreans having Nuclear Weapons? They have Plutonium Nukes. Thats Russia's speciality isnt it?++

I think it is bad.

Yes I red somewhere that Russia has about 100 tons of weapon plutonium now.
It was 134 but Russia degraded 34 tons by mixing with uranium and sold it to USA. As nuiclier fuel.
So if USA pay Russia sells to her. Mybe it is a solution?

Let US buy everything Russia sells and US don't like it?

I'm interested so who else use plutonium technology except Russia?

[RusIvan]

However, it has been reported, now that Bushehr is almost finished, that the Iranians have a Gas Centrifuge Plant and will provide their own fuel. +++

Fuel as I remember is not uranium but uranium oxide. And it no needs more then 5% purity.
So I conclude their plant is not for this reactor.

If iranians want to enrich uranium then I wonder where they get ore? And I wonder why ICAE doesn't impose sanctions on Iran?

[Orion78]

"Fuel as I remember is not uranium but uranium oxide. And it no needs more then 5% purity. So I conclude their plant is not for this reactor."

Well the Iranians would disagree. What do you think about that?

From GlobalSecurity.Org:

"Iran strongly rejected the allegations and reiterated that the two plants were intended to generate electricity. "In the next 20 years, Iran has to produce 6,000 megawatts of electricity by nuclear plants and the launch of these two centers and are aimed at producing necessary fuel for these plants," Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said."

If iranians want to enrich uranium then I wonder where they get ore?

From the article above, fourth line down:

"Iran in February revealed that it was building an array of facilities to exploit uranium deposits which would make it self-sufficient in nuclear fuel."

And I wonder why ICAE doesn't impose sanctions on Iran?

Because as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran has a right to pursue peaceful nuclear technology, subject to the oversight of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency. That right includes producing enriched uranium.

[Orion78]

Some photos of the Bushehr Reactor, Iran

IKONOS

[Mr. Mojo]

I get it, this must be the alternative universe Russia. ...The one that hasn't been helping Iran with its nuclear program for over a decade now.