One step closer

This just in: Iran can now enrich uranium to 20 percent purity. You know, for its power plant.

Weapons-grade uranium needs 80 percent enrichment, but, as former weapons inspector David Albright has said, getting to 20 percent is the hardest part. Should this worry the United States and other major powers? Not really. No one believes the “peaceful nuclear power” ruse, but it’s unlikely that Iran will actually set off a nuclear bomb. If it does, it won’t reach the United States; Iran’s target would probably be Israel.

A nuclear attack would set off World War III in the Middle East, but even though Iran and Israel hate each other, it would be unwise for Iran to try to use nuclear power to blow Israel off the map — just as it would be unwise for Israel or the United States to try to attack Iran’s facilities and destroy the uranium it has.

The first country to attack another in this situation will instantly become an international bad guy, as the United States saw after it invaded Iraq in 2003. The United States doesn’t have the time or resources to start a third war, and Israel — which is surrounded by enemies — won’t risk losing the international support it currently has. For now, Iran’s uranium will stay.

So if Iran isn’t actually going to set off a nuclear bomb, what’s the point of creating it and letting the world know how the project is coming along? Politics. Iran wants to join the superpowers of the world and be recognized as one of the leading countries. Apparently, the way it wants to get there is by becoming a nuclear power.

The threat of Iran having the ability to create another Hiroshima or Nagasaki is greater than the chance they’ll actually do it. All the posturing is just an attention-getter.

It also has a smaller side benefit for internal politics. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to stay in power — so badly, in fact, that he rigged the last election (which he would have otherwise lost) and jailed protestors. If he can be seen as the man who makes Iran a superpower, it’s likely he’ll have more support (or so he hopes).

Basically, he’s throwing a temper tantrum because he wants international attention and recognition.

Could Iran become the next superpower? That remains to be seen. Even if the country becomes a nuclear power, it’s doubtful that some of the other major powers like the United States, will let Iran into their club.

Even so, Iran won’t want the ramifications of using its new toys. If it attacks another country, it will have more enemies than it can count — enemies who also have nuclear weapons. Iran might soon have the ability to blow another country off the map, but it’s not going to use it.