By Lenka Kollar
The nuclear deal with Iran negotiated last November goes into effect this week. Iran has stopped enriching uranium above 5% U-235 at the Natanz and Fordo facilities and has begun downblending its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium. This is all in exchange for relief from some US and EU sanctions that could amount to about $7 billion in petrochemical exports. However, most of the sanctions that began in 2006 will remain in force. (Read more on BBC News.)
The nuclear deal with Iran negotiated last November goes into effect this week. Iran has stopped enriching uranium above 5% U-235 at the Natanz and Fordo facilities and has begun downblending its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium. This is all in exchange for relief from some US and EU sanctions that could amount to about $7 billion in petrochemical exports. However, most of the sanctions that began in 2006 will remain in force. (Read more on BBC News.)
An unidentified inspector from the International Atomic Energy Agency examines equipment at the Natanz facility in Iran on Monday. (Courtesy of NPR.)
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have are also gaining access to the Iranian enrichment facilities this week to perform inspections to ensure that Iran is not enriching uranium above normal (commercial) amounts. These inspections are required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty to which Iran is a signatory. Iran has a history of not giving inspectors full access and thus raising suspicious about their nuclear activities. (Read more on NPR.)
The enrichment program of Iran has been suspicious because even though they claim it is for uranium production for their commercial nuclear energy plant, they have enriched uranium above needed commercial levels and also not allowed the IAEA full access (as required by the treaty). Under the same treaty, Iran absolutely has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful nuclear energy production. However, they must remain transparent in their program.
In my personal opinion, I think that in their initial motivation, Iran did want to enrich uranium for both ensured nuclear fuel supply and the ability to break out into developing nuclear weapons if tensions in the region worsened. Now, I think that Iran is suffering under the sanctions and wants to adhere to the treaty but is not willing to give up it's enrichment program. What do you think?
The enrichment program of Iran has been suspicious because even though they claim it is for uranium production for their commercial nuclear energy plant, they have enriched uranium above needed commercial levels and also not allowed the IAEA full access (as required by the treaty). Under the same treaty, Iran absolutely has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful nuclear energy production. However, they must remain transparent in their program.
In my personal opinion, I think that in their initial motivation, Iran did want to enrich uranium for both ensured nuclear fuel supply and the ability to break out into developing nuclear weapons if tensions in the region worsened. Now, I think that Iran is suffering under the sanctions and wants to adhere to the treaty but is not willing to give up it's enrichment program. What do you think?
RSS Feed
