A nuclear-powered Iran

Iran's Vice President and nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi recently confirmed that Iran has proposed a deal with Russia that, if accepted, would create a "nuclear consortium."           

Iran has asked Russia to agree to jointly produce Iran's nuclear fuel for their newest nuclear plant, Bushehr, and any other future nuclear plants.

"We have made a proposal to Russia to create a consortium under Russian license to do part of the work in Russia and part in Iran," said Salehi to a state-run Press TV. "We should show the world our capability in uranium production and its conversion into nuclear fuel."

Though this proposal is still being reviewed and studied by Russian government officials in Moscow, it is clear that Russia has shown interest in being involved with Iranian nuclear development. Bushehr, which Russia assisted in building since the mid-1990's, has already been stocked with Russian uranium fuel, the element that is converted to nuclear energy.

Russia will supply all the uranium fuel for Bushehr.

They began to fuel the plant on Aug. 21 and have agreed to do so for the next ten years. Though the reactor is currently considered a nuclear facility, it will not be fully operational for another six months, according to Iranian officials.

Iran remains adamant that their nuclear program is peaceful, but the United States and other United Nations countries initially feared that Iran was enriching the uranium fuel to produce nuclear warheads. However, because Russia is both supplying the fuel and taking away the waste, it makes it doubtful that Iran can use the reactor to make fissile material for a nuclear weapon.

"Despite all pressure, sanctions and hardships imposed by western nations, we are now witnessing the startup of the largest symbol of Iran's peaceful nuclear activities," said Salehi last week at Bushehr's official launch ceremony.

Russia initially pledged to handle all of the nuclear fuel that would be used at the Bushehr reactor, which lowered the United States' suspicion that Iran would shift materials from research to weapons programs. Nonetheless, Iran's latest proposal to Russia suggests that Iran will have at least a somewhat significant role in the nuclear fuel process at Bushehr.

In June, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran for refusal to discontinue enriching uranium fuel. Despite the sanctions, Iran continued to push forward with its nuclear campaign. Salehi told reporters that Iran has produced 55 pounds of uranium enriched to 20 percent since February.

Salehi has recently made it known that Iran is in the "final stages of finding suitable locations for 10 new uranium enrichment facilities," which confirms that Iran is active in nuclear fuel production. Iranian officials say the additional enriched uranium is needed to fuel a medical research reactor.

Russian officials have reserved little comment on the matter. An official at the Russian Nuclear Agency told the Associated Press that the two countries have also discussed the possibility of creating a facility to assemble the fuel rods needed for Bushehr. In principle, the Russian official said, the facility would operate under Russian license on Iranian territory.

Although Iran's newest nuclear reactor is gaining a lot of national attention lately, it has actually been in the upstart process for more than 35 years. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the reactor began in 1975, but were cut short in 1979 during the Islamic revolution of Iran. Bushehr is currently the only active nuclear power plant in the Middle East. When the reactor is fully functional, it will account for nearly three percent of the nation's electricity supply.