Wednesday, January 22, 2014

How Much 20 Percent Enriched Uranium Does Iran Really Have?

Since yesterday (21.01.2014), Iran has begun suspending some parts of its nuclear activity following the recent Geneva interim agreement with the world powers. The important part of this agreement defines the responsibility of Iran with regards to 20 percent enriched uranium production. According to this agreement, Iran should halt the further production of 20 percent enriched uranium. Moreover, Iran should partly oxidize and partly dilute the total amount of its 20 percent enriched uranium, which, has produced so far, in the next couple of months. As the international media propagate, everything has smoothly and perfectly begun according to Geneva interim deal and it seems finally the world powers have managed to control Iran in this important matter. There is, however, an important issue, that nobody pays appropriate attention to it. This important issue is the exact total amount of 20 percent enriched uranium that so far, Iran has produced.

As I follow the news, it seems the Iranian officials have revealed different announcements about the total amount of 20 percent enriched uranium that so far, Iran has produced. In order to illustrate these different announcements, It would be wise to pay more attention to the statements, which have been revealed by two Iranian's top officials "Mohammad Amiri "and "Ali Akbar Salehi".

According to a news published in Vietnamnet website, Mohammad Amiri, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) official responsible for the recent interim nuclear agreement claims:

"Iran also started a dilution and oxidation process of its 196 km of 20 percent enriched uranium stockpile" (Vietnamnet, 2014).

Regarding the total amount of Iran's 20 percent enriched uranium, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, gives another estimate, which is almost double the amount that Mohammad Amiri states.

Regarding this particular issue, QUDSONLINE, one of Iran's official websites, has published an interview with Ali Akbar Salehi. In this article, which has been published almost one month ago, Salehi claims that so far, Iran has produced more than 400 kg 20 percent enriched uranium.
 
This is not a simple journalistic or speech error, due to the high level of importance of the topic and the high ranking jobs that both Salehi and Amiri have within the structure of the Islamic Regime. As mentioned above, there is a huge difference about the total amount of 20 percent enriched uranium produced by Iran in the statements of these two important Iranian officials; something nearly 200 kg. This issue should raise a serious question for the international community. Has Iran honestly and fairly revealed the necessary information about its nuclear activity? Based on many examples observed throughout the last 35 years, however, it seems not yet. This event reminds me to an old Iranian proverb, which says: "Liar does not have a good memory".




M. Sirani                              21.01.2014



References:
Mohammad Amiri (2014). URL<http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/world-news/94265/iran-halts-20--uranium-enrichment-in-implementation-of-geneva-deal.html. Accessed on: 21.01.2014.

 Ali Akbar Salehi (2014). URL<http://qudsonline.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=178615&Titr=%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%82%d9%81%20%d8%af%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%87%d9%87%20%d9%86%db%8c%d8%b1%d9%88%da%af%d8%a7%d9%87%20%d8%a8%d9%88%d8%b4%d9%87%d8%b1%20%d8%a8%d8%b1%d8%a7%db%8c%20%d8%aa%d8%b9%d9%88%db%8c%d8%b6%20%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%ae%d8%aa/%20%d8%a8%db%8c%d8%b4%20%d8%a7%d8%b2%20400%20%da%a9%db%8c%d9%84%d9%88%da%af%d8%b1%d9%85%20%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%db%8c%d9%88%d9%85%20%d8%ba%d9%86%db%8c%20%d8%b4%d8%af%d9%87%2020%20%d8%af%d8%b1%d8%b5%d8%af%20%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c%d9%85 >. Accessed on: 21.01.2014. 

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