On National Nuclear Technology Day in Iran, the government celebrated by announcing the full operation of Ardakan Yellowcake Production Plant, which is located in Yazd province in central Iran. It will process approximately 60 tons of uranium annually excavated from Saghand 1 and 2, two nearby mines.
This announcement took place in spite of opposition by Western nations to Iranian uranium use because of fears that the country will use it to produce nuclear weapons. Iran contends, however, that it is merely using uranium for energy and the production of medical isotopes.
A meeting last week in Almaty, Kazakhstan brought together representatives from six world powers and Iran to try to bring the sides closer on the issue. The meeting, however, was unsuccessful with both sides failing even to agree to meet again in the future.
Israel has warned that if a peaceful resolution to the situation is not reached, it will use all the means at its disposal to ensure that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.
Although Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims that his country possesses the uranium resources within its borders to successfully launch a nuclear program, some Western experts question Iran’s capabilities. They say that uranium is a scarce resource in Iran and that the small quantities of Uranium found in the country’s deposits make it too expensive to produce.
(Edited from Reuters)