Iran

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:03 — 7.9MB)

Listen above to a new edition of the FAS Podcast: “A Conversation With An Expert,” featuring Dr. Ali Vaez, Director of the Iran Project. Topics discussed include: the recent IAEA report on Iran (released November 8, 2011), history of Iran’s relationship with IAEA and Iranian public opinion regarding nuclear pursuits.

To read the podcast transcript, click here (PDF).

Department of State

This week the State Department released the unclassified version of a report on specific countries’  “Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Committees” (henceforth referred to as the Compliance Report). One section of this report covers compliance issues with the Biological and Toxins Weapon Convention (BWC, aka BTWC).  The Compliance Report indicated that following State Parties and signatories to the BWC were in compliance: Egypt, India, Iraq, Libya, and Pakistan.

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, FAS will hold a conference call with members on the technical aspects of Iran’s enrichment program, and the recently issued FAS report– The Twenty Percent Solution: Breaking the Iranian Stalemate.

Dr. Ivan Oelrich, Vice President of the Strategic Security Program, and FAS Researcher Ivanka Barzashka will speak about their proposal to break the Iranian stalemate by reaching a deal to refuel the Tehran research reactor. They will also discuss their assessment of Iran’s enrichment capability, the fuel enrichment plant in Fordow, and Iran’s plan to build ten more enrichment facilities.

Ivanka Barzashka is intrigued by the puzzle that is Iran’s nuclear program. Unlike North Korea’s public pursuit of nuclear weapons, Iran has been steadfast in its denial of developing a nuclear bomb, stating time and time again that it is pursuing a self-sustaining nuclear energy program. The dual-use nature of nuclear technology, specifically uranium enrichment, is at the heart of the uncertainty concerning the Iranian situation.