Iran has halted sensitive nuclear activity, including uranium enrichment, as part of a deal to escape possible trade sanctions by the United Nations.
Proliferation experts welcome the move to stop all nuclear activity which could be weapons-related, but also call for Iran to go further to reassure the international community regarding its nuclear ambitions, or lack thereof.
Under a deal struck with the UK, Germany and France on 15 November, Iran agreed to cease uranium enrichment to avoid referral to the UN Security Council.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – the UN’s atomic watchdog – confirmed that Iran had suspended its activities on Monday. This comes just three days ahead of a scheduled meeting of its board to discuss Iran’s case.
Agency inspectors inside the country will attempt to verify that all activities have ceased and seal off facilities in coming weeks, although verification could come as early as Thursday.
“Pretty much everything has come to a halt right now,” said Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the IAEA, during a press conference in Vienna. “It’s in Iran’s interest to maintain the suspension while we are going through the [inspections]. We are trying to restore confidence that the programme is for peaceful purposes.”
Fuel or weapons
ElBaradei added that Iran had produced about two tonnes of uranium hexafluoride at a plant in Isfahan. This could be used to develop both fuel and explosives, but ElBaradei says two tonnes is insufficient to enable the construction of nuclear weapons.
Spinning uranium hexafluoride in a series of large centrifuges separates the fissile uranium-235 isotope from heavier uranium-238. Uranium that has been “enriched” to include more than 5% of uranium-235 can be used to fuel reactors. Increasing this to more than 50% turns it into weapons-grade nuclear material. Iran is also thought to have developed the centrifuges needed for this enrichment process.
Terry Taylor, a nuclear proliferation expert with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, says Iran should go further still. He says that Iran should ratify an additional protocol added to the IAEA’s safeguards agreement, following the war in Iraq, which would give inspectors powers to inspect sites indirectly linked to nuclear weapons development. This agreement is a part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – signed by 187 countries, including Iran – which deals with nuclear compliance issues.
Iran halting its nuclear activity is “an encouraging step”, Taylor told New Scientist. “But the real thing would be if they ratified the additional protocol.”
Concerns over Iran’s nuclear activity have increased in recent weeks. While Tehran claims that its nuclear programme is geared towards generating electricity, the US accuses the country seeking to develop nuclear weapons. The US has put pressure on the IAEA to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for trade sanctions.
Fears came to a head last week when Iranian exiles accused Tehran of operating a secret enrichment programme.
In February 2003 Iran admitted to building a large-scale gas centrifuge plant to enrich uranium at another site near Natanz. Then, in June 2003, it refused to allow IAEA inspectors to take samples from a suspected nuclear enrichment plant in Tehran.
Under another agreement with the UK, France and Germany in October 2003, Iran agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, but later went back on this promise.