Iran has leaders across the globe nervous following recent reports about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
World leaders are concerned because Iran recently announced two important steps forward that will make it more efficient for the country to enrich uranium.
We spoke with a nuclear physicist from SDSU about this, who tells us the progress is concerning, because it means the country is just a bit closer to making a nuclear weapon.
Dr. Robert McTaggart is a nuclear physicist. he says given what we know, Iran is still far from making a nuclear weapon. He says, "you need to enrich your uranium to more than 90% in uranium 235."
Right now, Iran says it can enrich uranium to 20% 235 and 80% uranium 238, the country uses centrifuges to separate the two isotopes and now Iran says it has even faster spinning centrifuges, "making uranium enrichment more efficient," says Dr. McTaggart.
And Iran also recently revealed it has made its own nuclear fuel plates for its reactor. Dr. McTaggart says this can all be used peacefully for, "radio isotopes for medicine and nuclear power."
But the doctor says countries like America have offered to create this kind of nuclear fuel for Iran. He says, "it's cheaper to have somebody else enrich the fuel for you, so economically speaking, they're not in it for economics," meaning, Iran might be making the fuel on its home soil to possibly create weapons in the future.
But Dr. McTaggart says that would be in the far future. He says for one reason, under the global Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, non-nuclear weapon states like Iran cannot have access to certain technology needed to create the weapons. McTaggart says, "nuclear weapon states should not transmit that type of information or parts or components."
McTaggart says he isn't worried, because he says it would be close to impossible for Iran to hide serious progress on a weapon from the UN. He says, "there are good people in the government that are working on the problem."
A UN nuclear official is currently headed to Iran to discuss its nuclear program. At the same time, the U.S. is urging Israel not to attack Iran because of its nuclear program.
Iran has also made headlines Sunday for recently stopping its oil shipments to Britain and France.
