Paul Hurst's blog

Crisis talks over Iran's Nuclear programme

CONCERNS ARE GROWING OVER IRAN'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY HAVE RESUMED URANIUM ENRICHMENT AT THE NUCLEAR PLANT IN ISFAHAN.

Iran's nuclear programme had been under a self-imposed suspension since last year, however after the latest round of diplomatic talks yielded little result, the Iranian authorities have confirmed that their nuclear research has restarted.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are said to be holding crisis talks with Iranian officials and countries including Russia are trying to dissuade Iran from further nuclear development. The US president, George Bush has said he was "deeply suspicious" that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The Iranian's claim to be working solely on Nuclear energy programmes, however many of the technologies needed are common for both energy provision and weaponry, the basic difference being that one is a controlled release of energy while the other is not. The process of energy development also encourages Uranium enrichment which greatly increases the amount of nuclear energy extractable from the already potent Uranium element.

Many commentators are worried that if Iran develops a nuclear arsenal, the whole stability of the middle east could be under immense threat. Israel already has nuclear weapons but whereas other countries use these WMD as deterrents, there are concerns that the non-democratic state of Iran may use, or sanction the use of nuclear weapons as acts of war or acts of terrorism.


These are very worrying times in which we live and almost 60 years to the day since the less-powerful atom bombs were dropped on Japan, the threat of nuclear destruction still overshadows the world. The shadows are real, even if the weapons are not yet there to cast them. In a similar way, there remain shadows in Hiroshima from people who at 8.14am were there, but at 8.15 had gone. The only clue to their existence being a shape, permanently cast by the bombs incredible heat, heat which if felt in Israel after an Iranian attack, would literally lead to Armageddon.