(Wall Street Journal) Jay Solomon and Charles Levinson - There is a growing consensus among the U.S. and its allies that Tehran's effort to obtain a nuclear warhead has been significantly slowed and they credit, in part, an international campaign that they say has restricted Iran's ability to procure the needed raw materials. In particular, they say, Iran has had difficulty acquiring carbon fiber and a particular high-strength steel, two critical inputs for making advanced centrifuge machines used in producing enriched uranium. Officials in the U.S. and Israel stress they still believe Iran is actively seeking nuclear weapons, and that its program is still advancing. The U.S. and allies stress that despite Iran's setbacks, efforts to pressure Tehran financially need to be continued and intensified. Officials say Iran already has enough low-enriched uranium stockpiled to create as many as four atomic weapons if it decided to further process the fuel.
2011-01-10 09:10:08Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive