Question by dolphin314etc: Iran Nukes — Solved by Uranium-240?
When you mix in a bit of Uranium-240 into pellets designed for nuclear power plants at (low level of U-235 enrichment), that does not in any way impact the energy value in a nuclear power plant of those pellets.
It does however mean, they would have to be redissolved and re-centrifuged before being upgraded to a higher level of enrichment for use in a nuclear bomb. Here’s why:
U-240 has an “early release neutron”.
This means it poisons the number of generations one can obtain in a chain reaction.
Instead of getting a massive release of energy in which 2% of the fissile material is converted into heat and light and blast, you get a nuclear fizzle in which the “bomb” just blows itself apart into a big radioactive mess right there within 50 yards. About 0.0000000000001% of the nuclear material is converted into energy. Enough to break the steel casing around the “bomb”.
So far so good, but how do we get the Iranian nuclear pellets to contain U-240?
The Russians are taking back all the nuclear fuel and yellowcake from Iran. They say they will do the enrichment instead of having Iran do it. The Russians will then provide the cores for the Iran nuclear reactors.
It seems pretty easy to just mix some U-240 into those pellets.
If the Iranians are not a bunch of great big fat liars, and if all they want is nuclear power, not nuclear bombs, they can stand down and dismantle and sell all their centrifuges. Let the Russians provide the power-grade enriched pellets.
End of story.
But if the Iranians are in fact a bunch of great big fat liars, and have zero interest in nuclear power (why would they need it sitting on top of 20% of the world’s proven oil and gas reserves), and they have 100% interest in building a nuclear bomb to set off in Israel or New York, then they will make all sorts of arguments about why they need to keep their centrifuges.
At some point a powerful and capable world is going to get tired of a mendacious and sneaky Iran which thinks it’s being oh so clever and that nobody will touch them.
The US is now building a set of 6000 pound bunker busters, that are non-nuclear, but the most powerful non-nuclear bombs ever built.
They are not being built to drop on Patagonia.
The world’s patience has almost run out, a few grains left in the hourglass for Iran.
They are not going to get straight. They are going to get vaporized, probably by the end of this year, or at least by next Summer.
Our goal is to kill the minimum number of Russian technicians possible. Beyond that, we would like to kill the minimum number of humans possible. Beyond that, we would like to destroy nothing other than Iran’s nuclear facilities. We have no war that we wish to make on the Iranian people, or on the country of Iran as a general matter. This is not a “Shock and Awe” approach. We want a small blast radius aboveground, possibly as little as 1,200 yards.
Ideally we want an area that can be decontaminated, entombed, or at least isolated, in a cost-effective manner.
The art of dealing with the world’s problems is about solving them (so they are not there anymore), not just perpetual talking, lying, more talking, more lying, playing about, presenting a mummery, doing a little Ali Baba with the Yankee Devils. That show is about to be gonged. They should take a bow and leave the stage gracefully, while they can still do so and make a good deal for themselves.
Bigpants Sistani do you Capische this? You need to see it right? OK pal.
Best answer:
Answer by DON
IDK
What do you think? Answer below!
2 Responses
This suggestion was brought up years ago, and the Iranians turned their noses up at it. It does very clearly indicate that they want full control over the nuclear fuel cycle so they can use their civilian nuclear program as a cover to build weapons. It is the only reason why they would so adamantly cling to that provision.
You got the point
it is politics and national will, not common sense solutions.
one thing is clear:
A preemptive strike by US alone would turn the world against us in favor of the Iranians.
This must be a world response including Russia and China who have much to lose as well as US if Iran goes rogue.
Politics does not offer easy solutions.