Uranium For Iranian Nuke Within 2009

Iran will have enough enriched uranium to make a single nuclear weapon later this year, the prestigious International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) predicts.

The think tank’s Mark Fitzpatrick made the announcement at today’s launch of its annual global review of military powers.

“But being able to enrich uranium is not the same as having a nuclear weapon.”

However, the survey reports doubts over US Intelligence estimates that Iran halted its work on nuclear weapons six years ago.

This points to Tehran’s continued development of long-range ballistic missiles able to reach targets in Israel and beyond.

The IISS recommends a mixture of carrot and stick as the best international response.

It concluded a dual policy of engagement and sanctions, testing possibilities for Iranian cooperation while adopting targeted containment strategies, is the best way to deal with Iran’s nuclear programme.

Foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said: “Several think-tanks have come to the same conclusion.

“The intelligence agencies are more reluctant to put a time frame on it, and the report itself says having enough enriched Uranium to build the warhead is not the same as building the warhead itself.”

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Iran Test-fires New Missile, Israel, US Bases Within Reach

Iran said it test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missile on Wednesday and was ready to defend itself against any attacker.

Defence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said the Sejil missile had ‘extremely high capabilities’ and was only intended for defensive purposes.

He said it had a range of close to 2,000 kilometres. That would enable it to reach Israel and US bases in the Gulf. “This missile test is in the framework of Iran’s deterrent doctrine,” the IRNA news agency quoted him as saying. “It will only land on the heads of those enemies,” said Najjar, without mentioning any country by name.

The US denounced Iran’s claimed missile test and warned Tehran to halt its ballistic missile programme ‘immediately’ amid a nuclear dispute with the West.

“We’ve consistently pointed out that Iran’s missile programme is a concern and this testing is another reminder of the importance of establishing a missile defence site in Poland and the Czech Republic to defend the US and Europe against a threat that is developing in Iran,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters. agencies

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