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Iran is developing triggers for nuclear weapons, says IAEA

MAY 25, 2011
Physics Today
New York Times : The International Atomic Energy Agency released evidence yesterday that Iran is making uranium deuteride. When compressed in an explosion, the material emits a burst of neutrons that can trigger a chain reaction in fissile material. In other words, uranium deuteride can be used to trigger a nuclear weapon. Given that the material has no other uses, Iran’s manufacture of it contradicts the country’s repeated assertions that its nuclear energy program is wholly peaceful. In their New York Times story, David Sanger and William Broad also report that Iran appears to have recovered from the disruption to its nuclear program caused by the Stuxnet computer virus.
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