Iran is intending to expand its nuclear programme radically. John Large, an independent expert in nuclear technologies, explains the steps being taken by Iran. What does Iran need a uranium enrichment plant for? Uranium enrichment may be used to gain only two purposes, either to produce uranium fuel for the nuclear pile, or to produce nuclear arms. There is no need to produce fuel for atomic piles; therefore the only aim of Iran is to create nuclear weapons. What is the nature of Iran’s atomic technologies? In order to launch a uranium enrichment plant, Iran needs tons of uranium ore that will further be converted into some special powder. Then the procedure is getting even more complicated. The plant itself should have a manufacturing area of 10 football fields and a lot of energy. As far as enriched uranium may be used for producing nuclear weapons, these technologies are protected by the international agreement. So, Iran had to obtain the necessary equipment secretly. The most obvious suppliers seem to be Russia and China or some third European country. How can we get to know whether nuclear weapons will be elaborated? It is possible through observation of emissions into the atmosphere and the aquatic environment. What does Iran’s possession of nuclear weapons mean to its neighbouring countries? This can lead other countries to the attempt of creating weapons of mass destruction. It is quite possible that Iran started seeking nuclear arms because Iraq had also had suchlike programmes. It is also not a secret that Israel has created its nuclear arsenal within the last ten or more years. Is any independent inspection possible? Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It means that Iran’s nuclear objects have to be declared and allow free access for the IAEA inspectors to them. But Iran may follow the example of North Korea and leave the NPT.
