Search
Iran
IRAN
| First Nuclear Power Plant Opened: | Currently, there are no operational nuclear power plants in Iran. The first plant at Bushehr is under construction and scheduled to be completed next year with the cooperation of Russia. |
| Number and Types of Nuclear Power Plants: | An agreement was signed with Russia in 2002 that allowed for the building of five reactors in ten years. Recent reports say that Iran is considering building twenty new nuclear power plants in the coming years, though this is in all probability posturing. |
| Percentage of National Energy From Nuclear Power: | 0% |
| Future Nuclear Power Plans: | Iran wants nuclear facilities for what it calls peaceful purposes. The US and Israel are suspicious and want it to dismantle its nuclear programs, citing the abundance of gas and oil in Iran. As of now, the future status of Iran's nuclear program is still up in the air and depends largely on the outcome of negotiations with Britain, France, and Germany. |
ANALYSIS / ISSUES
Iran, along with North Korea, has been the central focus of global non-proliferation efforts since 2002, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found irregularities in Iran's reports to the agency regarding its nuclear facilities. Though Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, other nations, most notably the United States, do not believe it. Instead, it is suspected that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, an eventuality that the U.S. believes will upset the balance in the region.
The U.S. took a back seat to developments with Iran, instead allowing European countries Britain, France and Germany to negotiate with it to halt its nuclear program. In November 2004, Iran agreed to freeze its uranium enrichment process. However, Iran has maintained that it intends on resuming the enrichment process because the process allows it to make nuclear fuel. The concern is that the same process can be used to make a nuclear weapon. Negotiations are currently ongoing, but were dealt a blow with the election of Mahmood Ahmadinejad as President of Iran, a conservative who has made clear Iran's intention to not dismantle its nuclear program. Nevertheless, both parties have pledged that the talks will continue.
At this point, it is unclear what direction Iran's nuclear program will take. Western officials are hoping that negotiations result in a Libya-style agreement, where commercial and other incentives are offered in return for the dismantling of the nuclear program. Some observers say that without a credible threat - that is, a stick to accompany the carrots - negotiations are doomed to fail. Others suggest threatening Iran will only make it more determined to pursue nuclear weapons to ward off threats to its national security.
An important component of the problem is the role of Russia. Russia has cooperated heavily with Iran in building its nuclear reactors and maintains that it is not violating any nonproliferation rules in doing so. Russia has also agreed to supply Iran with nuclear fuel but the latter wants to produce its own fuel - fanning fears that it is indeed looking to develop nuclear weapons. Other nations, including the U.S., are wary of Russian-Iranian cooperation and worry that dangerous technology transfers could be taking place under the guise of cooperation on civilian nuclear technology.
Iran's Nuclear Power Plant Plans
| Facility Name | Process | Status |
| Akhvaz - 1 | - | Planned |
| Akhvaz - 2 | - | Planned |
| Bushehr - 1 | PWR/VVER | Under Construction |
| Bushehr - 2 | PWR/VVER | Planned |
| Bushehr - 3 | PWR/VVER | Planned |
| Bushehr - 4 | PWR/VVER | Planned |