
Will the West get up off the canvas before the ten-count?
Was this the promised “punch”? It could be, and could prove to be a knockout blow indeed, if nothing is done to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“Iran Claims New Success in Uranium Enrichment,” from AP, February 11:
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed Thursday that Iran has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level, saying his country will not be bullied by the West into curtailing its nuclear program a day after the U.S. imposed new sanctions.
Ahmadinejad made the announcement in a speech to hundreds of thousands of cheering Iranians at a rally to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Just two days earlier, Iran said it had begun enriching uranium to higher levels than before, raising fears it may be moving closer to the ability to produce material for a nuclear weapon.
But the president insisted Iran had no intention of building nuclear weapons and said if it intended to, it would say so openly.
Iran said Tuesday it had begun enriching uranium to 20 percent purity to power a research reactor for production of medical isotopes, up from 3.5 percent previously. But the international community has demanded a halt to all enrichment activity because the same process is used to produce weapons-grade material if it is enriched to a level of 90 percent.
Experts say that from 20 percent enrichment, Iran could make a quick leap to weapons-grade uranium….
”I want to announce with a loud voice here that the first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists,” Ahmadinejad said. He reiterated that Iran was a ”nuclear state,” something he has said before….
”God willing, daily production (of low enriched uranium) will be tripled,” he said.