This is a deadly game for poor and jobless Iranian masses. Their leaders are creating a big mess that may take 2400 years (half life of Cesium isotopes) to cleanup. May Allah help our neighbors, and bless them with caution, and Sabr. Amin.
BBC NEWS
Iran steps nearer confrontation
By Paul Reynolds
World Affairs correspondent, BBC News website
Iran’s decision to resume nuclear research after a voluntary suspension during the last two years is another step in the delicate and dangerous diplomatic dance over its nuclear future.
It will be taken as a sign in the West that Iran is determined to pursue its ambition of developing the technology to enrich uranium - a technology that can be used both for civil and military nuclear use.
But in keeping with the two-steps forward, one-step back approach Iran has adopted, it is still proceeding with some caution.
As well as announcing this move on research, it has agreed to further talks with Russia next month on a compromise proposal from Moscow that enrichment of Iranian nuclear fuel be carried out in Russia - despite the breakdown of talks last week.
‘Patience failing’
Iran’s tactic is always to offer further talks even when, perhaps especially when, an impasse is reached.
It did so last year after the breakdown of negotiations with the EU3 - Britain, France and Germany - which had been trying to turn a temporary suspension of Iranian enrichment work into a permanent cessation.
Those negotiations have not resumed because Iran has not re-suspended all its nuclear activities.
It remains to be seen whether the resumption of research on nuclear fuel - in conjunction with its August decision to start the process of preparing uranium ore for enrichment - will trigger a referral to the Security Council by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, has said that the world is “running out of patience with Iran”. But he said that in December as well.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was more pointed and said: “This marks a breach of Tehran’s commitments. It cannot remain without consequence. We have had over the past weekend two very, very ominous signals from the Iranian government.”
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