Video: Ahmadinejad Interview with Time Magazine

Latest Iran Video: Ahmadinejad Interview on CNN’s Larry King
The Latest from Iran (25 September): The Nuclear Distraction

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Doing his rounds of US media, including talks with NBC, The Washington Post, and Newsweek, Iran's President Ahmadinejad spoke with Time staff just after The New York Times "revelation" of the "secret nuclear plant" but before President Obama's statement.

Comments

[ChrisE]

The key here is at what point in the timeframe between contruction and becoming operational do participants within the NPT have to inform the IAEA of new facilities.

I suspect that this is the point at which the Iranian and western intepretations differ- as both accept that the Qum is not close to being operational.

I would also like to know how its configuration is inconsistent with civil nuclear facilities, as alleged by Obama- that is something that only the IAEA can verify. Though I suspect that they will be unable and unwilling to goes as far as saying any configuration is evidence of a weapons program.

As I mentioned in my analysis, this is an attempt to force the Iranians into doing something meaningful in October. The jury's out on whether it will, though I suspect that they will at the very least allow a close inspection of the site. That may be enough to avoid UNSC sanctions- though perhaps not unilateral or bi-lateral sanctions.

Also, I wonder what was handed to AN at the end of this interview.

[Peter]

The story is that one of the first pieces of equipment that was installed at the site was a Pasdaran anti-aircraft battery. Apparently, according to the British paper the Guardian, the plant is also too small to cost effectively enrich uranium for commercial purposes. To produce enough enriched uranium to fuel a commercial power plant generally requires at least 50,000 centrifuges. The Qom plant is only capable of housing about 3000.

Recognizing this, the Iranian government now claims it is a 'pilot' plant the Guardian further states. The US government (along with France and the UK) however contend that the Qom facility has nearly 20 times more centrifuges then a test plant needs. Plus, there is the fact that Iran already has a pilot enrichment plant in Natanz and there is little to be gained from building a highly expensive, secret 2nd plant to test the same "peaceful" enrichment technology. On the other hand if the Iranian government were looking to build a small, secret plant far from the prying eyes of UN inspectors that would be capable of refining enough uranium to build approximately one bomb a year, then the Qom facility is perfect. At least that's the argument that the 3 Western nations have put forward.

Iran is now making the argument that the plant isn't yet operational and that they are therefore not guilty of violating the NPT. The 3 Western powers however counter that in 2006 Iran agreed to notify the IAEA of any new nuclear facilities -before- construction began and Iran has violated that agreement. Furthermore Iran has only come clean now because it has been tipped off that the Western powers had quietly informed Russia & China of the plant's existence last week.

My guess is that the Russians tipped off the Iranian government in order to explain the shift in position to their "ally". While Russia and Iran may have a common interest in curtailing American influence in the region, it is also not in Russia's interest for Iran to develop an arsenal of nuclear weapons.