'Iran running short of uranium supply'

Report: Reserves too small to manufacture nuclear arms; Western states trying to prevent exports.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Published: JANUARY 24, 2009 12:23
Natanz 248.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Natanz 248.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Iran may be running out of the uranium necessary to manufacture nuclear weapons, and as a result many Western states have been making efforts to persuade producers of the raw material from selling to Iran, the London Times reported Saturday. According to the report, France, Germany, Britain and the US have banded to stop the flow of the material to Teheran by lobbying governments in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Brazil - key uranium producing states - to stop selling. Although Iran received a large stash of the 'yellow cake' uranium from South Africa in the 1970s, several countries believe that the Islamic Republic has been unable to obtain enough uranium and that its reserves could be "exhausted within months." Iran also has two uranium mines, but these only yield small amounts of ore. Furthermore, the production was suffering from problems with purity, the report said.