Iran says finds unexpectedly high uranium reserve

[IceWizard]

Sat Sep 12, 2015 | 6:55 AM EDT

DUBAI (Reuters) -
Iran has discovered an unexpectedly high reserve of uranium and will soon begin extracting the radioactive element at a new mine, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said on Saturday.

The comments cast doubt on previous
assessments from some Western analysts who said the country had a low supply and would sooner or later would need to import uranium, the raw material needed for its nuclear program.

Any indication Iran could become more self-
sufficient will be closely watched by world
powers, which reached a landmark deal with
Tehran in July over its program.

They had feared the nuclear activities were aimed at acquiring the capability to produce atomic weapons - something denied by Tehran.

"I cannot announce (the level of) Iran's uranium mine reserves. The important thing is that before aerial prospecting for uranium ores we were not too optimistic, but the new discoveries have made us confident about our reserves," Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Salehi said uranium exploration had covered
almost two-thirds of Iran and would be complete in the next four years.

Uranium can be used for civilian power
production and scientific purposes, but is also a key ingredient in nuclear weapons.

The July deal between Iran and world powers
will lift international sanctions on Iran in
exchange for at least a decade of curbs on the
country's nuclear activity.

After decades of efforts, Iran - which has
consistently said its program is for peaceful
purposes - has achieved a full nuclear fuel
cycle, ranging from the extraction of uranium
ore to enrichment and production of fuel rods
for nuclear reactors.

Sanctions on companies taking part in Iran's
uranium mining industry will be lifted when the
agreement is implemented.

Salehi said uranium extraction was set to begin
at a new mine in the central province of Yazd,
according to IRNA.

Some Western analysts have previously said
that Iran was close to exhausting its supply of
yellowcake - or raw uranium - and that mining it
domestically was not cost-efficient.

A report published in 2013 by U.S. think-tanks
Carnegie Endowment and the Federation of
American Scientists said the scarcity and low
quality of Iran's uranium resources compelled it
"to rely on external sources of natural and
processed uranium".

It added: "Despite the Iranian leadership's
assertions to the contrary, Iran's estimated
uranium endowments are nowhere near
sufficient to supply its planned nuclear
program."

Iran has repeatedly denied overseas media
reports that it has tried to import uranium from
countries like Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.



(Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin; Editing
by Noah Browning and Pravin Char)


****Opinion****

No matter how you look at this ... It can't turn out good. I do not trust those Irainians and I feel like they're always up to do something dastardly. Israel is already at the number spot for being "rubbed out" by Iran. That's all we need to start up a little more unrest in that part of the world. I mean they've only been fighting for like...hmmmm ..... FOREVER!! What makes us think they're going to stop now?