We’ve been hearing for awhile how far apart the US and Iran are in ongoing nuclear negotiations. The latest comments from Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, have provided the first indications of how far apart.
According to Khamenei, the US proposal is for Iran to have 10,000 centrifuges worth of capacity for enrichment, roughly half of the number they already have right now in operation.
That’s far from what Iran was thinking, as the nation is aiming to have self-sufficiency in fuel for its Bushehr Power Plant, and according to Khamenei was envisioning 190,000 centrifuges as a final goal.
It’s been reported for quite some time that the two sides were headed in different directions on the number of centrifuges, but to have a 19-fold difference in the number still, less than two weeks from the deadline, suggests no deal is likely.
If I had a nuclear energy program…I'd want laser enrichment and storage at 90+ % enrichment. Could always denature (dilute) later if necessary. Why? Consider the US Navy's nuclear reactors. How often do they refuel compared to crappy civilian enrichment? A lot of downtime averted, eh?
And I guess if I were Iran, I'd pretty much demand all the US Navy's missile defense secrets before negotiating further. You know, make the world safe for democracy and stuff. …Of course, I'd also invade Mexico and Canada, occupy them for a few years while screeching to the world about USg's 'dual use' technologies… especially the plumbing and refrigeration that allows them to harbor millions of potential terrorists just begging to bomb my region.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said :
Salehi underlined that the number of centrifuges needed for having 190,000 SWUs depends on the type of the centrifuge machines.
He said Iran's first generation IR1 centrifuge machines have a nominal output of over 3 SWUs, but in practice they yield less than 2 SWUs, meaning that "if we want to reach the above-mentioned 190,000 SWUs with the help of these (IR1) machines, then we would need more numbers, while if we use the (the fourth generation) IR4 centrifuge machines which yield 24 SWUs, then we would need less than 10,000 centrifuge machines".
"Thus, the hues and cries about the number of centrifuges are deliberate deviations from the reality as we have defined our needs based on SWUs, and not on the basis of centrifuge machines," Salehi said.
For information : SWU (Separative Work Unit)
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said : Salehi underlined that the number of centrifuges needed for having 190,000 SWUs depends on the type of the centrifuge machines.
He said Iran's first generation IR1 centrifuge machines have a nominal output of over 3 SWUs, but in practice they yield less than 2 SWUs, meaning that "if we want to reach the above-mentioned 190,000 SWUs with the help of these (IR1) machines, then we would need more numbers, while if we use the (the fourth generation) IR4 centrifuge machines which yield 24 SWUs, then we would need less than 10,000 centrifuge machines".
"Thus, the hues and cries about the number of centrifuges are deliberate deviations from the reality as we have defined our needs based on SWUs, and not on the basis of centrifuge machines," Salehi said.