It is evident that Iran's efforts are focused both on uranium enrichment and a parallel plutonium effort. Iran claims it is trying to establish a complete nuclear fuel cycle to support a civilian energy program, but this same fuel cycle would be applicable to a nuclear weapons development program. Iran appears to have spread their nuclear activities around a number of sites to reduce the risk of detection or attack.
The continuing pattern of Iranian deception and delayed admissions about its nuclear activities, as well as specific information in the IAEA report, strengthens the assessment that Iran's nuclear program is not consistent with its stated purpose, but is clearly geared towards the development of nuclear weapons. (KeepMedia, 2004)
After a report of IAEA Director General Muhammad El-Baradei, to the IAEA Board of Governors in June 2003, following four months of Agency inspections in Iran the IAEA has documented a number of instances in which Iran violated its safeguard agreement by failing to report.
Iran initially developed its nuclear program in secret, going to the black market for material, and blaming its discretion on the U.S. sanctions and European restrictions that denied Iran access to advance civilian nuclear technology.
Iran now openly admits that it has already achieved proficiency in the full range of activities involved in enriching uranium a technology that can be used to produce fuel for nuclear reactors or an atomic bomb.
Washington has accused Tehran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to build a nuclear bomb. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is merely geared towards generating electricity.
Iran keeps the stance that Washington and the Europeans had approved the building of 20 nuclear power plants in Iran and provide advanced nuclear technology when Tehran was under the pro-Western shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi.......
