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The Daily Star (Lebanon), citing a nuclear industry trade publication, reported that "Iran’s supply of low-enriched uranium – the potential feedstock for nuclear bombs – appears to have certain “impurities” that “could cause centrifuges to fail” if the Iranians try to boost it to weapons grade... There may be more time on the Iranian nuclear clock than some analysts had feared." It has also been reported in the Wall Street Journal that Iran has "agreed to ship much of its stock of low-enriched uranium abroad, a move that should temporarily curb its ability to build a nuclear weapon." This sounds like great news: The Iranians are incapable of making weapons grade fuel, and are sending their uranium abroad.  Does this mean it's time to celebrate? In an article on ArmsControlWonk, published by experts on nuclear issues, it's written that the impurity is an obstacle, but one that can be overcome.

The Iranians can still enrich to any level they want, but if a certain level of impurities remains in the product, that makes the process more laborious. The product would have to be hauled back to the UCF [Uranium Conversion Facility] for further purification after partial enrichment, then returned for further enrichment, and so on.  That really does put a kink in rapid breakout scenarios. On the other hand, compared to the technical hurdles that the Iranians have already overcome, perfecting purification at the UCF doesn’t seem like a great challenge, and we should expect the AEOI [Atomic Energy Organization of Iran] to solve that one sooner or later, if they haven’t already.

And the fuel being sent abroad? In another article at ArmsControlWonk, there is tangential speculation that the tainted uranium is a cover; It may be the Iranians need help purifying their fuel.  It may also be that Iran may simply not want to appear capable of further enriching its uranium. So, the seemingly positive reports may not be so positive. On the heels of this, HaAretz reported on "a highly secret video, produced by Iranian nuclear scientists...  a three-minute film depicting a computerized simulation of the detonation of a warhead, most likely a nuclear one." The video was shown last year at the International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna.

[It] depicted a room made of stone. At the center stood a Perspex mock-up - equipped with a flashing red light - of a ball-shaped bomb resting in the metallic, gold-plated cone of a missile warhead. In the most important scene in the film, the computer simulation shows the launched warhead reentering the atmosphere and exploding 600 meters above the earth's surface. According to experts, this is the ideal altitude for detonating a nuclear bomb in order to generate the maximum degree of destruction on the ground.

A peaceful resolution to the conflict with the Iranian government remains elusive.  As HaAretz continues:

Iran continues to enrich uranium while claiming that it has no military nuclear program. Russia and China insist on opposing harsh sanctions on Iran. Israeli spokespersons have hinted at, or even threatened, a military operation against Iran, but they prefer it be carried out by the United States. The United States and the European Union oppose the use of force and find themselves isolated in their attempts to deal with Tehran's nuclear challenge.

Given the challenges, its critical Americans continue to press their media and their representatives on this issue, to keep it at their forefront, in the pursuit of a solution.