Iran+Nuclear+Weapons

**Thesis:**
 Iran’s nuclear weapons threaten nearby states and countries in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

**Summary**:
==== Iran insists on enriching their nuclear program for civilian use, but western governments fear Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. ==== The United States and other world powers do not want a nuclear armed Iran. It is not illegal for Iran to have nuclear power or bombs, but the U.S. do not want Iran to hold nukes. Iran shows no sign of making nuclear weapons but the UN inspectors found satellite imagery of possible clean-up work in sites they wanted to visit. "They clearly have something to hide." a Western __envoy__ said.

**Timeline:**

 * **1957**: The United States and Iran sign a civil nuclear co-operation agreement as part of the U.S. Atoms for Peace program.
 * **August 9, 1963**: Iran signs the Partial nuclear test ban treaty (PTBT) and ratifies it on December 23, 1963.
 * **September 1967**: The United States supplies 5.545 kg of enriched uranium, of which 5.165 kg contain fissile isotopes for fuel in a research reactor. The United States also supplies 112 g of plutonium, of which 104 g are fissile isotopes, for use as start-up sources for research reactor for Iran.
 * **July 1968**: Iran signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and ratifies it. It goes into effect on March 5, 1970.
 * **April 26, 2006**: Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Americans should know that if they assault Iran their interests will be harmed anywhere in the world that is possible, and that the Iranian nation will respond to any blow with double the intensity.
 * **April 9, 2007**:President Ahmadinejad has announced Iran can now produce nuclear fuel on an __industrial scale__. Some officials said 3,000 uranium gas enrichment centrifuges were running at the Natanz plant in central Iran
 * **December 3, 2007**: The U.S. Intelligence Community released a National Intelligence Estimate concluding that Iran "halted its nuclear weapons program" in 2003, but "is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons."
 * **May 17, 2010**:Iran, Turkey and Brazil announced a __deal on__ procedures for a nuclear fuel swap aimed at easing concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.








 * [[image:http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2012/0216-special-report-iran-oil-ahmadinejad/11779486-2-eng-US/0216-special-report-iran-oil-Ahmadinejad_full_600.jpg width="600" height="400" caption="Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad"]]

**Questions**
3. What did the Western governments fear Iran was developing?
 * 1.** When did the United States and Iran sign a civil nuclear co-operation agreement?
 * 2.** Who is the president of Iran?
 * 4.** Where did Iran get its first start-up sources from?

John Park