The chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi today announced that Tehran had launched a "serious" nuclear fusion research program, reported state-run Press TV. The AEOI boss added that around 50 scientists were taking part in the research.
"Studies and examining the feasibility of a national plan titled 'Designing and building experimental nuclear fusion reactor and plant' are under way," Asghar Sedighzadeh, head of Iran's Nuclear Fusion Research Centre was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency. He however, refused to divulge more details.
On his part, Salehi acknowledged that the project will take time. " The start-up budget is 80 billion rials ($8 million). It takes 20 to 30 years before this process can be commercialized but we have to use all the capacity in the country to provide the necessary speed for fusion research," Salehi said, according to Press TV.
Iran is facing severe criticism from the global community over its controversial nuclear programme, which Tehran claims is for peaceful purposes. However, the United States and other Western nations fear that the Islamic Republic is pursuing its nuclear agenda in order to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has been facing four rounds of the United Nations sanctions for hiding about the goals and status of its nuclear program. Earlier this month, the US also imposed new sanctions against Tehran. Obama called the sanctions another step in demonstrating that "the United States and the international community are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
