"Today, we are a nuclear country and we are talking to others from that position." Those were the words of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, explaining his refusal to suspend his country's uranium enrichment program. While many believe that Iran has a right to develop nuclear power, others, including the Bush administration, fear a parallel nuclear weapons program. How should the international community react to Iran’s burgeoning atomic ambitions?
Nuclear industry consultant
Iran is only one of many countries that are considering nuclear power. It makes little sense to deny Iran an opportunity to build nuclear power plants and generate clean energy.
Iran, like other Middle East countries faces a shortage of electricity and water. New nuclear power plants can help with these problems.
If Iran were to comply fully with the Non-Proliferation Treaty and focus its nuclear power progam on peaceful production of electricity, then nuclear power plants in Iran would be acceptable.
However, nuclear power is (or can be) linked to nuclear weapons programs. A nation that has a nuclear power program can, using its signficant resources, develop a nuclear weapons capability that uses the fissile material produced in nuclear power plants.
Iran is developing a uranium enrichment capability, explained by a desire to be able to produce its own enriched uranium fuel for nuclear power plants, There is currently a signficant world capacity for uranium enrichment, with new facilities under construction.
Iran should be able to obtain nuclear fuel assemblies on the world market at a lower cost than developing its own indigenous uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities.
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