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Nuclear Power Play

The war of words between the United States and Iran heated up last week. "We will not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon," said U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. "The Iranian [government] needs to know that if it stays on its present course, the international community is prepared to impose meaningful consequences."

Nuclear energy is at the heart of the conflict with Iran, an oil-rich country in the Middle East (see "A Look at Iran"). Nuclear energy can be used as a fuel source. It can also be turned into the most powerful, deadly weapon in the world.

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty of 1968 set up strict rules to limit production of the destructive bombs. At this time, 187 countries, including Iran, have signed the treaty and vowed to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes only.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a part of the United Nations, oversees the use of nuclear energy. Last week, the IAEA's board met to discuss Iran. Its leader stressed the importance of patience and cooperation. "This is an issue which is going to take some time," says IAEA Secretary General Mohamed ElBaradei. "We need to put our heads together."

A Tense Relationship
The U.S. has had a strained relationship with the government of Iran since 1979. Relations worsened last year after Iranians elected Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president. He insists on Iran's right to create nuclear energy using enriched uranium. Although that is not in violation of the 1968 treaty, enriched uranium is a key ingredient of nuclear weapons.

The U.S. believes that Iran's recent actions demonstrate that it cannot be trusted. The U.S. is urging the IAEA to ask the U.N. Security Council to review the case against Iran. The U.N. Security Council has the power to impose sanctions, or punishments.

A Look at Iran
Geography: 630,000 square miles (1,632,000 sq km), an area that is slightly larger than Alaska

Population: 68,017,860 as of July 2005

Religion: Islam is the official religion; 98% of Iranians are Muslim.

Languages: Persian, Turkic, Kurdish and others

Government: The country was known as Persia until 1935. From 1921 until 1979, it was ruled by kings, called shahs. Iran became a constitutional Islamic republic in 1979. The country has an elected president and a parliament. But the most powerful public figure is the Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, the nation's spiritual leader.

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