The Politics of Weapons Inspections
Nathan E. Busch, Joseph F. Pilat
On July 14, 2015, U.S. president Barack Obama announced what he described as an historic deal that was designed
to resolve the ongoing crisis over Iran’s nuclear program. The Iranian nuclear crisis, which had lasted well over
a decade, was sparked by revelations in 2002 and 2003 that Iran had constructed a covert uranium enrichment
facility at a site called Natanz, was building a heavy-water production plant at a site called Arak, and had
stated that it planned to construct a heavy-water reactor at the Arak site as well. These facilities raised
significant international concerns, since they could be used to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) and
plutonium, both key ingredients for a nuclear bomb. These concerns intensified following reports by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stating in November 2003 that Iran had been conducting covert nuclear
activities for nearly twenty years.1 In the years following these revelations, and in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC)
Resolutions, Iran continued to press forward with its nuclear program, which many suspected to be part of a
nuclear-weapon program, installing nearly twenty thousand centrifuges, producing a significant stockpile of
enriched uranium, and nearing completion of the heavy-water reactor at Arak.
to resolve the ongoing crisis over Iran’s nuclear program. The Iranian nuclear crisis, which had lasted well over
a decade, was sparked by revelations in 2002 and 2003 that Iran had constructed a covert uranium enrichment
facility at a site called Natanz, was building a heavy-water production plant at a site called Arak, and had
stated that it planned to construct a heavy-water reactor at the Arak site as well. These facilities raised
significant international concerns, since they could be used to produce highly enriched uranium (HEU) and
plutonium, both key ingredients for a nuclear bomb. These concerns intensified following reports by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stating in November 2003 that Iran had been conducting covert nuclear
activities for nearly twenty years.1 In the years following these revelations, and in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC)
Resolutions, Iran continued to press forward with its nuclear program, which many suspected to be part of a
nuclear-weapon program, installing nearly twenty thousand centrifuges, producing a significant stockpile of
enriched uranium, and nearing completion of the heavy-water reactor at Arak.
Year:
2017
Edition:
First
Publisher:
Stanford University Press
Language:
english
Pages:
412
ISBN 10:
0804797439
ISBN 13:
9780804797436
ISBN:
2016030198
File:
EPUB, 479 KB
IPFS:
,
english, 2017