U.N. Atomic Agency: Iran Rapidly Ramping Up Nuke Production

U.N. Atomic Agency: Iran Rapidly Ramping Up Nuke ProductionVIENNA (The Blaze/AP) — Iran has rapidly ramped up production of higher-grade enriched uranium over the last few months, the U.N. nuclear agency said Friday, in a confidential report that feeds concerns about how quickly the Islamic republic could produce an atomic bomb.

The International Atomic Energy Agency report also said Iran failed to give a convincing explanation about a quantity of missing uranium metal. Diplomats say the amount unaccounted for is large enough to be used for experiments in arming a nuclear missile.

Iran insists it is not interested in nuclear weapons and says its activities are meant either to generate energy or to be used for research.

But the report contained little assurances the country’s activities are purely peaceful. Instead, it also confirmed that two IAEA missions to Tehran within less than a month had failed to dent Iran’s refusal to assist an IAEA probe of suspicions the country has been secretly working on aspects of a nuclear weapons program.

The IAEA team had hoped to speak with key Iranian scientists suspected of working on the alleged weapons program, break down opposition to their plans to inspect documents related to nuclear work and secure commitments from Iranian authorities to allow future visits.

But the confidential report said that during those two sets of talks “no agreement was reached between Iran and the agency, as major differences existed with respect to approach.”

The report obtained by The Associated Press said the agency continues to have “serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program.”

The issue of suspected weapons-related experiments has been stalled for close to four years, with Iran insisting the allegations are based on doctored intelligence from the U.S., Israel and elsewhere.

Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s chief delegate to the IAEA, insisted progress was made.

“Iran has started real action and cooperation with the agency regarding … the allegations,” he told the AP. “We are determined to work hard with the agency in a professional manner to resolve the issues.”

Senior international officials familiar with the talks painted a different picture. One said that during the last talks, which ended Tuesday, the IAEA team gave the Iranians a 15-page document outlining their concerns, and they “went through item and item and said they were false and fabricated.”

“Sixty-five paragraphs, 65 ‘no’s,” said the official, when asked how the Iranian side responded to each item of concern presented by the agency. He asked for anonymity because his information was privileged.

The IAEA team was comprised of senior officials, but the international sources described the Iranian negotiating team as “go-betweens,” with no authority to commit to cooperating with the agency’s probe.

In a 13-page summary late last year, the IAEA listed clandestine activities that he said can either be used in civilian or military nuclear programs, or “are specific to nuclear weapons.”

Among these were indications that Iran has conducted high-explosives testing to set off a nuclear charge at Parchin – a military site that the IAEA team was refused access to on both recent visits to Iran.

Other suspicions include computer modeling of a core of a nuclear warhead and alleged preparatory work for a nuclear weapons test and development of a nuclear payload for Iran’s Shahab 3 intermediate range missile – a weapon that could reach Israel.

The report said Iran appeared to have a structured weapons-development program up to 2003; that some work continued past that date, “and that some may still be ongoing,“ adding that the agency believes its information on which its suspicions are based is ”overall, credible.”

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner declined to comment on the details of the report, which he said officials were still studying, but added it contained “nothing that has allayed our concerns about Iran’s nuclear program.”

White House National Security Council spokesman Thomas Vietor said Iran’s continued uranium enrichment, “combined with its continued stonewalling of international inspectors, … demonstrate why Iran has failed to convince the international community that its nuclear program is peaceful.”

The report was issued to the IAEA’s 35-nation board and the U.N. Security Council as the latest update on what the agency knows or suspects about Iran’s nuclear program.

It comes amid heightened tensions caused by Iran’s refusal to rein in nuclear activities that much of the world fears could be redirected toward a weapons program. A rapid series of sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union and others on Tehran has only increased acrimony without any sign that Iran is ready to compromise.

Instead, it has retaliated by imposing oil embargoes on Britain and France and threatening other European nations that act against it with similar punishment, as well as bluntly warning its foes that it is ready to strike pre-emptively.

Such threats are clearly directed at Israel, which, along with the U.S., has not ruled out military attacks if diplomacy fails to halt Iran’s nuclear drive. Washington has in recent weeks tamped down the rhetoric as it seeks to defuse tensions, but Israel refuses to follow, saying it alone will decide on what actions to take to protect its security.

In an apparent attempt at damage control before his March trip to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his ministers not to speak publicly about Iran, Israeli officials said Friday.

Israel views Iran as an existential threat, citing frequent Iranian calls for Israel’s destruction, its support for violent anti-Israel militant groups and its nuclear and long-range missile programs.

Iran’s refusal to scrap its uranium enrichment program is a key worry – it had already triggered four sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions even before the recent flurry of penalties imposed separately by countries or groups of countries.

Enrichment at low levels provides reactor fuel – but that can be turned into weapons grade material by gradually re-enriching to levels of 90 percent or more.

Iran has enriched tons of fuel-grade material since its clandestine program was discovered 10 years ago, and worries have been compounded by its decision two years ago to start enriching at a higher level that can be turned into fissile warhead material much more quickly and easily than its low enriched uranium.

Adding up verified figures and Iranian estimates, the report said that Tehran has to date produced about 110 kilograms (more than 240 pounds) of higher-level uranium enriched to 20 percent. That is about half of what it would need to arm a nuclear warhead.

And it has increased its 20-percent production capability by adding hundreds of centrifuges to a facility dug into a mountain since the last IAEA report in November, the agency said. That structure may be impervious to any bunker-busting bombs Israel has at its disposal.

Beyond that, Iran has added about 2,600 centrifuges producing lower-enriched uranium below 5 percent since that last IAEA report, so that about 9,000 centrifuges are now churning out the lower-enriched material.

The report said that when verified amounts and Iranian estimates are tallied the Islamic republic has produced nearly 5,500 kilograms (more than 12,000 pounds) of lower enriched material. Although the lower-enriched material takes longer to convert, that would be enough for an additional four nuclear warheads, should Iran decide to make such weapons.

The agency already reported in November that nearly 20 kilograms (almost 45 pounds) of uranium metal were missing from Iran’s inventory at a research laboratory. While that amount is too little to be molded into a nuclear warhead, diplomats have said it could be used for related experiments.

On Friday, the IAEA report said that it had requested access to records and personnel involved in the experiments that made the metal, but “Iran indicated that it no longer possessed the relevant documentation and that the personnel involved were no longer available.”

Comments (53)

  • universalphilos
    Posted on February 25, 2012 at 1:01pm

    This is a prophecy from 1980. Perhaps it is old, or perhaps there may be some words of use in it for this time? Only our Father knows.
    It is interesting (a coincidence or not) that it it came up right after I read this article, and is in line to be shared with interested readers today.
    http://www.angelfire.com/in4/aup_messiah/1980February01.audio.html
    Let us pray any such things not come to pass. Yet, may God bless and protect Israel and avert the plans of the enemy, and may God bless and protect America and avert these plans. May we remain “one nation under God.”

    Report Post » universalphilos  
  • SteamedinMichigan
    Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:09am

    Israel needs to act NOW. The world will know as soon as iran has a nuke because THEY WILL USE IT ON ISRAEL! What are we doing? Sitting on our hands- doing nothing. It’s totally disgusting. Let’s spend more time apologizing to a bunch of 10th century stone heads about burning their book instead of supporting a very real ally in the middle east!

    Report Post » SteamedinMichigan  
    • SgtB
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 9:56am

      I’m sick and tired of you useful idiots supporting that we and Israel go to war with a nation who is doing nothing but researching technology that our nation invented more than half a century ago. IF you are so willing to support Israel, then you should move there and join their military. Until that time, you can shut your mouth and stop supporting that our young men and women go to war for your religious zealotry.

      I am a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and I do not take kindly to people like you who would commit people like me to fighting a foreign war of aggression. I may have been fooled once by the MSM when I joined to fight against the “terrorist threat” that loomed over this nation. But I will not be fooled again into your service. I really sincerely wish that they raised the enlistment age in the military to 25. It is far too easy to get a 17 year old to agree with your ignorant ideas and to have him put himself in harm’s way for naught.

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • Flex-it
    Posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:20am

    Don‘t and can’t blame Israel if they do take action upon Iran within the next few weeks to come. Iran is snubbing the world, and acting like a rebellious teenager who is set to do what they want to do regardless of what the world thinks. Well folks, it doesn’t work that way, and I believe that Iran is about to find out the outcome of their defiant actions the very hard way. Go Israel!

    Report Post »  
    • SteamedinMichigan
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 8:06am

      Go Israel! They’ve got to stand up for themselves. The anointed one in Washington is too busy apologizing for the burning of the korans
      s

      Report Post » SteamedinMichigan  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on February 25, 2012 at 12:09am

    Not good!

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • bankerpapaw
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:09pm

    Let ‘em ramp. I’m sure that nuclear missile submarine off their coast would gladly help Iran ramp back down rather quickly.

    Report Post »  
  • scrweylouie
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 9:43pm

    Osama Bin Laden once said “the USA believes in life”
    “we believe in death”

    Christianity says “ thou shall not kill”
    Radical Islam is based on martyrdom so therefore to go to “heaven” you must kill

    are these the people you want having even one Nuke?

    Report Post »  
  • raderby
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:56pm

    king Zero can reduce the nukes the USA holds ONLY if he dumps the 1500 he wants to lose on Iran. Glassify the bastards.

    Report Post » raderby  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:31pm

    What else is new? By the time the UN figures something out it means Iran likely already has the bomb.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • qpwillie
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:39pm

      Yeah, somebody has been conditioning us for something for several months now. Each new report tells us Iran is a little bit closer to being ready than the one before.

      Report Post » qpwillie  
  • flsnipe
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:28pm

    We will stand around and wait until it is to late and Israel is gone or some part of our country is glowing
    I am sure Berry has an apology already written to Iran saying how sorry he is that they had to use their first nuke on gods chosen people or our lazy azzez he will get this done as soon as he is done kissing Karzize azz. And breaking it off in every service members azz.

    Report Post » flsnipe  
    • SgtB
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:06am

      People like you make me doubt that this nation will survive another decade. I’m sick of you neocons. I would rather have a million Americans killed by an unprovoked attack than to have this nation and her men become the aggressors. I would rather live with the fear that another sovereign nation existed with weapons of mass destruction than to live in a police world in the capitol police state. Trust me when I say that if you start a war with Iran, this nation will become a bigger target than Germany in 1942. Also, I don’t care what you think of our service men and women, we did not join to fight aggressive wars. We joined to DEFEND this nation. Not to rule others. IF Iran ever used a weapon against the US, then we would gladly glass their entire nation. However, don’t you DARE ask us or tell us to invade another sovereign foreign nation that has not even invaded our land or water.

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:46pm

    …
    We will never go to war with Iran, because our President loves the Iranian people and he hates Israel.
    He wants Israel totally destroyed. Muslims hate Christians.
    Folks, please pray for Israel.

    Report Post »  
    • Marci
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:24pm

      How long is our government going to hem-haw around the facts? They are amping up to destroy Israel, and we are included in their enemies list. We need to pay attention, because they are coming for us too. I stand with Israeal, as do many Americans–but again, we are the Great Satan to them and no amount of tea and cookies with Barry is going to change that. To usher in the prophet, they see only one way—destruction of Israel, U.S., bloodshed and chaos and everyone must convert, submit or die. For the Koran tells them so….

      Report Post » Marci  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:41pm

    …
    Let Israel remove these evil people off the face of the Earth, before it’s too late.

    Report Post »  
  • CanteenBoy
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:32pm

    How does Iran reconcile it’s desire and stated goal of wiping Israel off of the Earth while claiming and lying that they are not pursuing a weapon capable of doing it?

    They can’t.

    Stay tuned – better yet – prepare for it.

    Report Post » CanteenBoy  
  • vtech61
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:21pm

    PS.
    I don‘t see why other Countries shouldn’t have nukes.
    It’s a GREAT way to make sure, BIG Countries don’ t Fluck with U. ;-)

    Report Post »  
    • qpwillie
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:39pm

      “I don‘t see why other Countries shouldn’t have nukes.”

      When you look up and see one headed for your back door, you’ll understand it better.

      Report Post » qpwillie  
    • SgtB
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:16am

      Stupid Willie, Have you ever looked at a map? Please refer to any world map and tell me what nation lies between Iraq and Afghanistan. Then tell me, If China had troops in Canada and Mexico, what would you and our gov’t be saying on a daily basis.

      As far as your unfounded fear of nuclear weapons….

      You have a higher risk of being stuck by lightning, blown away in a tornado, or shot by a ricochet from a police shootout than you have of being the victim of a nuclear attack. While it true that these other things are governed by chance and not human activity, the reality is that the human activity that would make you a target of an nuclear attack is what you are currently doing. There is no justifiable reason to go to war with a country that has not attacked you. Also, attacked should not be conflated to mean developed a weapon that you have had access to for 70 years. If Iran ever attacks the US, then you can react. But until that time, your continued ranting that we should preemptively attack a foreign nation is doing us no good.

      Report Post » SgtB  
  • vtech61
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:17pm

    PS. Blaze…. CLICK FRAUD is something you really don’t want to get into.
    (Google is really good at that, and they too, got caught)…

    We too (the people) have the ability to see what’s up.

    I‘m talking about the ’Next Story” Pop/Slide object.
    (It’s got to go)….

    I think you R attempting to ‘pad’ your ‘visitor’ numbers, using such a lame tactic. :-(

    It won’t fly and sooner than you think, (Ex Huffpo writers and tech staff)…
    YOU are/will prosecuted. :-)

    Report Post »  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 12:01am

      @vtech61
      “I‘m talking about the ’Next Story” Pop/Slide object.’

      I don’t get that when I visit The Blaze. I wonder why?

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • SPOT_OF_TEA
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:09pm

    I smell a rat here…usually the United Nations tries to hide any news like this from getting out and now they are leading the march?I have a few ideas about their motive.

    Report Post » SPOT_OF_TEA  
    • ChiefGeorge
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:20pm

      Yea! Its starting to read like a page right out of Colin Powells address to the UN itself over Iraqs WMD’s. Will the world now blink because of a socalled false alarm on Iraq. Those WMD will turn up one day I believe but thats another story. If Iran is allowed to continue, their WMD will most certainly turn up somewhere outside their own borders….maybe they’ll call it research into how this stuff works on people.

      Report Post » ChiefGeorge  
    • martinez012577
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:33pm

      Yeah, this is Iraq part 2. Get ready Americans, your sons and daughters are about to be sent to a sand filled waste land to stop something that wont happen. It will cost of trillion dollars and we will lose lives. We continue to rub the thorn in our side pushing it deeper and deeper into our flesh.

      Gas prices were 1.82 on avg. before we invaded Iraq, we are sitting at 3.45 today. I dont know about you but I cannot wait for the 80% increase to pad the Muslims wallets.

      Report Post » martinez012577  
    • AxelPhantom
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:48pm

      Martinez,

      Your right it has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the fact that Obama has been borrowing and printing money and devaluing the dollar (which is how the value of oil is calibrated), because we alll know inflation is a figment of our imaginations and nothing to do with the fact that Obama recinded the leases for oil companies to drill on public land. B.S.

      Gold has gone up 300% in the same time period (mostly in the last 3 years), that should tell you it has little to do with the wars and more to do with the economic policies of this administration.

      Report Post »  
  • I.Gaspar
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:09pm

    What’s all the fuss about?
    Dr. Paul and his ardent supporters have assured us that Iran can’t hurt us.
    Let’s all go and smoke some pot.

    Report Post »  
  • vtech61
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:07pm

    Can‘t wait for the EMPs to start the disruption of all these so called ’systems’…
    It’s gonna get interesting, when the us.gov is down. :-)

    LMAO at ALL of them.

    Control THIS.
    2A is alive and well, in the USA

    BRING IT.

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:01pm

    Israel needs to drop the hammer on the Iranian’s nuke program and keep us out of it.Killing their nuclear scientist‘s once in a while won’t cut it,they need to take out their reactor.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • Paul -Indiana
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:57pm

      There are a few options. First, you don’t need bunker busters, just destroy the entrances. If needed, a neutron bomb will penetrate the deepest buried factory. With any luck, the flood of neutrons would set off any bombs the Iranians have nearby. Second, a suitcase bomb at Mullah-central would decapitate the Iranian regime. Get a-jad while they’re at it. I don’t doubt for a second that Mossad has agents who would give their lives to carry a suitcase bomb close enough to do the job. I‘ve heard that if Iran’s facilities are attacked, then they will lash out at the whole ME. Does anyone think that will change if they have the bomb? I hope Israel strikes hard and at the top of that pile of maggots.

      Report Post »  
  • cliftonb
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:54pm

    The only true statement made by iran is that they want to kill all Jews. Everything else is taquiya to further their ultimate goal.

    Report Post »  
  • powedj
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:53pm

    It’s time for Israel to step up to the plate and take them out. Obummer’s state deptartment and defense deptartment are too busy apologizing and bowing to the muslems the over burning of the Koran in Afganistan. MUSLIMS GET A LIFE

    Report Post » powedj  
  • welovetheUSA
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:52pm

    Has everyone forgotton….Iran paid for Pakistans nuclear weapons production in the 1990s…..Iran has the Nuke……….already.

    Report Post » welovetheUSA  
    • chips1
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:57pm

      John Bolton has been warning us for a long time. Staying alive is our biggest concern and Bolton knows what’s happening.

      Report Post »  
    • teebubba
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:17pm

      I’ve heard that Iran purchased from one of the ex-Sioviet republics three tactical nukes about the size of suitcase bombs right after the US invaded Iraq. No one talks publicly about this or the fact that Israel itself has 30+ nukes which it developed secretly during the 1970′s.
      A close relative of mine who was in the military in the last decade has told me that our mideast policy for the past 30 years has been to restrain Israel by neutralizing their enemies so that they won’t use their nukes to prevent the Iranians and others from carrying out their extinction threats.

      Report Post » teebubba  
  • floridacockleburr
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:52pm

    c’mon Israel, it’s time to get this over with and see who our glorious leader backs.

    Report Post » floridacockleburr  
  • justangry
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:51pm

    Proliferation sucks, but get used to it. This whole listening to the U.N. as a pretext to war is some BS. If they can go in and tell Iran what to do using our military to back them up and they can tell Israel they need to be nicer to Palestinians, then eventually they’ll be able to tell us what to do. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land here and will be as long as I live. I’d hope everyone here would pick off the baby-blue hat wearing foreigners if they showed up on our shores. That is, if the U.N.‘s small arms treaties haven’t already trumped our god-given rights.

    Report Post » justangry  
  • AxelPhantom
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:48pm

    Iran has no naturally occuring nuclear material within its borders. Who is providing it? Russia. Who is the leading supplier of both natural gas and oil to Europe? Russia. A bit of a conundrum.

    Report Post »  
    • Rayblue
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:22pm

      Since 1988, Iran has opened ten uranium mines.

      Report Post » Rayblue  
    • AxelPhantom
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:34pm

      That’s what I get for using an old resource atlas. However Russia is still providing the uranium for Iram’s project.

      “If they give us the 20 percent enriched uranium this very week, we will cease the domestic enrichment of uranium of up to 20 percent this very week. We only want the 20 percent enrichment for our domestic consumption,” Ahmadinejad told The New York Times on Thursday.

      http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1155223/1/.html

      Report Post »  
    • Rayblue
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 9:54pm

      No ill intent. Just sayin’.

      Report Post » Rayblue  
    • AxelPhantom
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:06pm

      Ray,
      No offense taken. The point is that if you can’t stop the use, take out the dealer.

      Report Post »  
  • TXPilot
    Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:48pm

    I have a feeling, we are going to be in another shooting war soon, only this time with Iran. Found out today, my son along with many other military personnel, are getting shipped back to the Middle East, in the Persian Gulf area…..and strangely enough, they are getting only one weeks notice.

    Report Post » TXPilot  
    • AxelPhantom
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:51pm

      So sorry Tx. One of mine just got back from tour #2 and we are now expecting our first grandchild (and no, I’m not as old as you may think). I had kind of hoped he was done, but I’m not holding my breath. Good luck to him, prayers.

      Report Post »  
    • justangry
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:53pm

      Not good. All the best to your son and the rest of our troops.

      Report Post » justangry  
    • chips1
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:54pm

      When a large order of pizzas is delivered to the War Room, kiss your >>> goodbye.

      Report Post »  
    • raspberrytea
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:31pm

      Prayers for your son and all that serve.

      Report Post »  
    • Razorhunters
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 9:24pm

      sorry to hear/read that…have our prayers.

      Report Post » Razorhunters  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on February 24, 2012 at 11:42pm

      Thanks for all the well wishes everyone. I did my time, now my son gets to do his, although, when he got back the last time, I was really hoping he was done, because the Middle East is just about to come apart totally, and I dislike the idea of a family member being within spitting distance of Iran.

      Report Post » TXPilot  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on February 25, 2012 at 12:08am

      @TXPilot
      Thanks for the heads up and we are praying for you and your family here in Fl.

      Report Post » The-Monk  

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