It Seems We Have Been Here Before

The International Atomic Energy Agency has reported that Iran is co-operating with its inspectors and is producing only fuel-grade uranium, as is its legal right; hence Britain's leading liberal newspaper is living its values once more by screaming about the threat Iran poses to the world's largest nuclear power. Iran "has installed 3,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium - enough to begin industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel and build a warhead within a year", assuming they all spin at full speed, and that nothing goes wrong, and that Iran intends to build a warhead. The IAEA has uncovered no evidence of Iran's intention to do any such thing, although given that Iran is bordered both to the west and to the east by recipients of the dubious blessing of western "hard power", its government could hardly be blamed for deciding that a deterrent might be advisable. The IAEA's report has caused outrage in Washington, London and the Righteous State, where the forces of democratisation are expressing deep concern because Iran's nuclear programme does not appear to be within forty-five minutes of blowing anyone off the map. The Glorious Successor has "called for increased pressure on Tehran, including an international ban on investment in the Iranian oil and gas industry", which will give Tehran no end of an incentive to stop looking into alternative energy sources. "If Iran wants to restore trust in its programme it must come clean on all outstanding issues without delay," said a spokesbeing for our own Ministry of Lesser Breeds, examples of whose outstanding cleanliness can probably be found by anyone prepared to look hard enough.