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Friday, November 19, 2004
Iran Producing Gas Used In Making Nuclear Arms
November 19, 2004
Dow Jones Newswires
The Associated Press
VIENNA -- Iran is using the last few days before it must stop all uranium enrichment to produce significant quantities of a gas that can be used to make nuclear arms, diplomats said Friday.
Iran recently started producing uranium hexafluoride at its gas processing facilities in Isfahan, the diplomats told The Associated Press. When introduced into centrifuges and spun, the substance can be enriched into weapons-grade uranium that forms the core of nuclear warheads.
Iran last week agreed to suspend uranium enrichment and all like activities in a deal worked out with the U.K., France, Germany and the European Union. The deal, which goes into force Monday, prohibits Iran from all uranium gas-processing activities, as well as other programs linked to enrichment.
But the diplomats said Iran was exploiting the window until Monday to produce uranium hexafluoride at its plant in the central city of Isfahan.
Asked about quantities, a diplomat said "It's not little" but declined to elaborate.
Iran has huge reserves of raw uranium and has announced plans to extract more than 40 metric tons a year.
Converted to uranium hexafluoride and repeatedly spun in centrifuges, that amount could theoretically yield about 100 kilograms of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, enough for about five crude nuclear weapons.
Iranian officials say the Isfahan plant can convert more than 300 tons of uranium ore a year.
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