(This is Part One of a post about the newly negotiated framework for the Iran nuclear program.)
Iran and the U.N. Security Council (U.S, U.K., Russia, China, France and Germany) have negotiated a "framework" for an agreement on Iran's nuclear program and trade sanctions to be finalized in June. Here are the terms of the "framework."
The first step toward creating a nuclear weapon based on uranium is to enrich the uranium. Natural uranium is mostly the isotope U-238 which is slightly radioactive. There is less than one percent U-235 in natural uranium. U-235 is very radioactive. Raising the percentage of U-235 to about five percent creates a fuel that can be used in light water nuclear reactors which are the most common type in use today. Research reactors may use fuel that has from twelve to nineteen percent U-235. Uranium enriched to less than twenty percent U-235 is known as low-enriched uranium. Highly enriched uranium has twenty percent or more U-235. Nuclear weapons grade uranium is about ninety percent U-235. Enrichment is a complex process which includes high-speed centrifuges.
It is estimated that Iran has opened more than ten uranium mines since 1988. A few years ago, Iran increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium which upset other nations, especially the neighbors of Iran. There was a fear that Iran could throw out international inspectors and sprint to sufficient weapons grade uranium for a bomb in a matter of months. Over the past few years, in reaction to international concern, Iran reduced its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The new framework just negotiated calls for Iran to reduce the number of its centrifuges from nineteen thousand today to about six thousand, one thousand of which would be kept offline. Currently Iran could enrich enough uranium to create a bomb in a few months. With the new framework, it would require at least a year to produce enough material for a bomb. Iran also agreed to reduce its stockpile of low grade uranium from about twenty two thousand pounds to about six hundred and sixty pounds. Iran will agree to keep its stockpile of low grade uranium at that level for fifteen years.
Iran currently has one enrichment facility at Fordow and a second facility at Natanz. Under the new framework, no uranium will be enriched at Fordow for fifteen years. The Fordow facility is to be converted into a nuclear and physics research center. They are to be barred from even researching enrichment at Fordow. Fordow will be monitored by the U.N. for compliance with the framework.
Iran has also agreed to modify its heavy-water reactor at Arak to prevent it from being used to produce plutonium which could also be used to make nuclear weapons. The original core of the reactor will have to destroyed or removed from Iran. Iran will ship all of its spent fuel from Arak out of the country for as long as the reactor operates.
(See Part Two next for more on the new framework for the Iranian nuclear program.)
