If the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle is managed effectively, spent nuclear fuel is stored in sites that pose negligible risks to the environment or the public.
And the Russians said, well all right, if the Iranians want to possess the whole, what's called the nuclear fuel cycle, that is, to have a guaranteed stream of nuclear fuel for power plants, which involves enriching uranium, we'll do it in conjunction with Iran, but in Russia.
The BBC's diplomatic correspondent, Jonathan Marcus, says the exploitation of these mines underscores Tehran's determination to master and operate the full scope of the nuclear fuel cycle from uranium extraction, processing, enrichment and ultimately the manufacture of nuclear fuel.
Iran has basically argued that from a legalistic approach that Iran has the right to have the full nuclear fuel cycle as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, but Ahmadinejad simply--I think his main message today was that his country will not be intimidated and the nation is unified even if the case goes to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.
So far, Tehran has not restarted work on the most sensitive part of the nuclear fuel cycle, uranium enrichment a process that can be used to make either fuel for reactors or nuclear warheads.
There are only two options: Iran gets nuclear weapons, or someone uses pre-emptive military force to break Iran's nuclear fuel cycle and paralyze its program, at least temporarily.
Last Sunday, the head of Israel's military intelligence reported that Iran has mastered the nuclear fuel cycle and can rapidly move from low-grade uranium enrichment to weapons-grade uranium enrichment.
CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Washington has abandoned its obligations
If the US were taking the Iranian threat seriously, the Obama administration would not be begging Iran to negotiate with it after Teheran demonstrated that it has complete control over the nuclear fuel cycle.
Daniel Roderick, senior vice president of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a joint venture between General Electric and Japan's Hitachi, told Bloomberg the company is looking to secure contracts to deliver reactor technology, nuclear services, and nuclear fuel cycle services to Saudi Arabia.
As Iran edges towards achieving the nuclear fuel cycle that would let it become, after Israel, the Middle East's second atomic power, so the consequences of that ambition, in the form of UN sanctions and the growing isolation of Iranian banks and businesses, are being felt across the economy.
Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle.
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