Is Iran changing its nuclear strategy?

[Phx_Dem]

The international pressure and the technical difficulties involved in uranium enrichment have prompted Iran to change its nuclear development strategy, Western diplomats and nuclear experts said Thursday.

Based on the recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and intelligence reports, the Iranians are no longer aggressively trying to create fissionable uranium.

snip

At the core of the new formation is said to be an array of new centrifuges, built based on information sold to Iran by Pakistani scientist Abd al-Kader Khan. The new Pakistani P-2 centrifuges – or IR-2 and IR-3, as they are called in Iran – can enrich uranium at double and triple the speed than the 3,000 old centrifuges installed in Iran's Natanz nuclear facility.

Having two sets of centrifuges, said Tehran, will allow it to cut down the time in needs to produce fissionable uranium by two-thirds.

snip

The IAEA's latest report of Iranian nuclear capabilities noted several covert developments "which should be cause for some concern": Developments of nuclear detonators, high-end experiments involving conventional explosives made to accelerate nuclear warheads' fission and underground nuclear testing facilities.

The most disconcerting find, however was that of computer files suggesting Iran already possesses – and may have already tested – a full-fledged nuclear warhead.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3566491,00.html

[Prefer]

1. Who cares?

If we guarantee our citizens the right to bear arms, why do we not support this right for nations? Should they not be allowed to defend themselves?

[Phx_Dem]

3. Iran signed the NPT

and needs to comply with IAEA regs.

[babylonsister]

2. Who knows? But why won't the US release the latest NIE? I imagine

it's because there's no 'there' there regarding nuclear capabilities. If there was, why wouldn't this report be important to the American people, or at the very least Congress?

[bananas]

4. That article is weird.

They seem to mean "weapons-grade" when they say "fissionable".

[Phx_Dem]

5. Latest IAEA report

http://www.iranwatch.org/international/IAEA/iaea-iranreport-052608.pdf