Iran: We'll buy enriched uranium from third party

Why dont israel sign the nuclear non proliferation treaty ? Iran shud have nuclear weapons. Israel does thanx to america.

Western nations intention is not pure when handling problems. There were lot of history records on handling the nations except Israel. So this time it is very difficult to peck on Iran or N Korea for this wood pecker.

Most power reactors in the world require only3-5% U-235. Uranium 20% or higher is highly enriched (HEU). While 80% is usually considered weapons grade, 19.75%--still low (LEU)--is adequate to make crude nuclear weapons. 3-5% means peaceful power use. 19.75% or higher means nuclear weapons.

The fact is that the Tehran reactor has been refueled several times over the last 30 years. And yes, none of the LEU was diverted. p.s. I realize that you clearly lack any comprehension of nuclear physics, so I will try to explain in simple terms why the reactor fuel under discussion is not weapons grade. The Little Boy L-11 which was used on Hiroshima used 64 kg of 80-90% enriched Uranium in a weapon weighing 4,000 kg. A critical mass at 20% enrichment would requirer about 750 kg of Uranium and the resultant bomb would be VERY large. Even using less than a critical mass in an implosion system would result in an extremely large weapon - if one could solve the problems of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities inherent in such a massive implosion system.

Yet, you were dead wrong about Syria's nuclear installation while insisting, without end, that you were right while US scientists were wrong, or forced to lie. In short, you tend to contradict what you don't like (the CIA for instance) to the point of contadicting common sense. I am sorry to write this because you make at times excellent remarks... This time, I'd love to believe Iran is not after the bomb (and blackmailing, or even destroying Israel with it after that), but can't from the little you write, quite un-scientifically - (one-sidedly, without proofs). I wonder, too, why everybody are "war hawks", but not the mullahs and Ahmadinejad, WHO STARTED ALL THIS CIRCUS. That makes sense??? America, Europe, and Israel are THE war hawks and Iran a peaceful place??? Which you alone know? Together with North Korea, Chavez, and a few bloggers herein?

Ever since the emergence of China as a superpower, Tehran figured the hell with the west.... we can do as much as we like. The obsessed Iranian leadership took a hard-line approach and tried to call the American bluff. Now, that the west is convinced Tehran is in the atomic business... big time. And allowing them to have the bomb was never on the table. Tehran is turning over their cards.... and it's the big fold. No more cockamamie speeches... no more smoke and mirrors... the Iranian shell-game is up. Back in 2008 Seymour Hersh said "Iran will appear super confident until the moment they back down"..... is this the beginning of that moment.

I agree w/ earlier post on how Iran is testing the waters. Doubtful that they are having problems w/ enrichment. Israel continues to cry wolf while USA is quick to offer its motherly apron. Israel has no fear considering its nuclear arsenal that they like to display as their ace in the hole. Israel most likely fears Iran's potential not as a nuclear power (its all moot if one considers MAD) but as a potential economic power should it be given the opportunities that China were given. Given Iran's vast energy resources ( (oil, natural gas and uranium) Israel is more concerned that Iran will expose Israel as a true welfare state and given USA's very fickle nature may, in fact, weaken the USA/Israel alliance all for the price of energy - take a look at S. Arabia.

If Iran's intentions were peaceful, they should have started from this point. I think their goal is bombs, and their showing off rockets supports that. Total sanctions until they open up all factories for inspection on demand is the only acceptable answer. Israel should not threaten or take military action. That would justify the Iranian agressive scenario..

It breaks down like this; Iran requests 20% enriched uranium for medicinal purposes...radio isotope studies, radiation oncology, etc. It is after all a humanitarian issue. If the west agrees, it will have circumvented its own sanctions, and thereby weakening them substantially. If, as is expected, the west refuses, then unfortunately, the Iranians will have no choice but to make the enriched uranium themselves. And they will have Chinese/Russian backing as well, since they were trying to be reasonable and the west was being obstinate. The Iranians are showing that they also have a few rungs up the escalation ladder.

??rabble always go after the intellectuals with torches and pitchfork? I believe you do not have a slightest concept of what constitutes persecution of intellectuals. What you call torches and pitchfork is actually a sarcastic reflection on an opposing opinion, nothing more. It has always been considered perfectly legit in an honest exchange of opinions. ??How about facing the facts head on?..? You have no facts of your own on Iran and neither do I. All we have are official government declarations and the various media reports that quote undisclosed sources. From this you choose to believe what you want. But please do not imagine for a second that you can convince people feeling threatened by Iran that all of that is just paranoia. I am already acquainted with your opinion that all the world problems are rooted in the evil Zionist occupation of Palestinian lands. Sorry to shatter your well-rounded theory: it is not a fact but is your rather heavily biased opinion. Re: cheapening anti-Semitism. Thanks for your concern over keeping the definition pure. Anti-Semitism is decease of mind that affects the ability of those infected to think rationally. Selective recollection of history and one-sided interpretation of events are also well known symptoms. You are terminal.

If there are to be sanctions against Iran, why are there none against Israel? Israel has a stockpile of 200 nuclear warheads, whereas Iran has none. Israel has refused to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty; Iran has signed. Israel refuses inspections of its nuclear facilities, and it has publically threatened to bomb Iran should the latter attempt to do what it has done, namely ignore international opinion and arm itself with nuclear weapons. Never mind violations of international law, on the nuclear issue alone, the case for a boycott of Israel is far more powerful than the one against Iran.

Smart move by Iran, and it's yet more evidence that Iran has no intention of developing nuclear weaponry, creating quite a dilemma for those states that, apparently, have a habit of presenting false evidence to the world to justify sanctions, or military action, against any state that's deemed to threaten the supremacy of the Israeli theocracy in the Middle East - Iraq being a case in point!

i love the responses that view this development as a bad thing. Iran is offering to buy uranium instead of enriching it...obviously this is an unsubstantiated offer...but if it was true wouldnt that be what you were all asking for in the first place????...for Iran to give up nuclear enrichment. Your response to this offer gives a glimpse of your true desires...you want war!! you would all be dissapointed if talks succeeded because your rationale for war would be lost. Well if its war you want go ahead and attack, no one's "holding you back"...just dont expect help from the "international community" you seem to always cite as being threatened by iran.

(including Haaretz) will sooner or later go up in a puff of smoke (which for some reason has a slight scent of Hugo Boss after shave). And the world will order some coffee and relax.

Taqiyya is a Shiite precept that allows lying to further a religious goal, like welcoming the 12th Imam. When a country sells enriched uranium to Iran, the spent waste can be turned into plutonium. Who is going to remove plutonium from Iran?

This is positive and should be quickly clarified. Somehow, I don't think the Iranians will moth-ball their massive investment in uranium enrichment. There will probably be some sort of confronation or attack within the next three months.

Yes - in one small research facility, not throughout Iran as a whole. Why did you neglect to mention that, I wonder?

people to be beat and shot at by un-uniformed armed thugs running amonst the crowd,,, what will he do to the people of other countries when he gets more power?

They are scared, they know what is awaiting them; for them it's bad for us it's good. And happen it will. Enjoy.

Madam, you have a sublime name, like a countess from a Tolstoj novell. Since I and some other readers (I hope) are not experts on uranium enrichment and the art of making nukes, could you next time please also inform us if this 19.75 enriched uranium can be used for nukes. In other words: is this a significant proposal or is Ahmadinejad saying: we will stop making a gun and buy it instead? Mark Lincoln, can you help me out here? 19.75 percent? Good or bad?

Testing the waters if you like to see if they can have a credible, regular supply of enriched Uranium to power it's nuclear reactors. It could also indicate that Iran's enrichment process is not going as planned. Either way it could be an opportunity not to be missed to solve this Israeli manufactured crisis once and for all. Then we may be able to concentrate on the Goldstone Report.

we won't secretly increase to 99+%. "As I said in New York, we need 19.75 percent-enriched uranium. We said that, and we propose to buy it from anybody who is ready to sell it to us. We are ready to give 3.5 percent-enriched uranium and then they can enrich it more and deliver to us 19.75 percent-enriched uranium," Ahmadinejad explained.

The Tehran reactor, supplied by the USA, originally was fueled with Weapons Grade HEU. In the 1980s, Iran had it modified to use 20% enriched Uranium. By foregoing the enrichment of Uranium to fuel that reactor Iran is giving a strong signal that it will not configure it's centrifuge cascades to produce Highly Enriched Uranium. This move will disappoint the War Hawks.

Iran is not stupid. They are actually saying some of the right things. The West should listen and try to restrain the right-wing crazies in israel from taking precipitous action from a country that is has threatened far more than has threatened it. Iran may end up here as the second nuclear power in the middle east and that is not all bad. Someone has to restrain Israel.

..then it is too late for diplomacy and millitary action. it means that the goals of theran have been reached! they are only waiting for an attack on their souvereignity to have a reason to attack israel and i think it will be a nuke that will attack first!

If you believe Ahmadinejad and buddies are willing to ger enriched uranium from outside the country and that will solve the issue then There's A Desert in England and I have some beach front property in Arizona I want to sell you!!! And even if he did, that little Weazel has something else planned to accomplish his goal! And we all know what that is, "the Hatred & Destruction he has spewed from his mouth regarding Israel"