A large shipment of Uranium 238 bound for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas was intercepted by customs officials in Tanzania, on October 22, 2005. Iran has been trying to import uranium for its nuclear program for years in spite of it's denials that it is attempting to build a nuclear weapon.

The uranium was found hidden among barrels of coltan, a rare mineral used to make small electronic components, which was destined to Kazakhstan after being transported through Bander Abbas.

Iran's plot to mine uranium in Africa

IRAN is seeking to import large consignments of bomb-making uranium from the African mining area that produced the Hiroshima bomb, an investigation has revealed.

A United Nations report, dated July 18, said there was “no doubt” that a huge shipment of smuggled uranium 238, uncovered by customs officials in Tanzania, was transported from the Lubumbashi mines in the Congo.

Tanzanian customs officials told The Sunday Times it was destined for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and was stopped on October 22 last year during a routine check.

The disclosure will heighten western fears about the extent of Iran’s presumed nuclear weapons programme and the strategic implications of Iran’s continuing support for Hezbollah during the war with Israel.

It has also emerged that terror cells backed by Iran may be prepared to mount attacks against nuclear power plants in Britain. Intelligence circulating in Whitehall suggests that sleeper cells linked to Tehran have been conducting reconnaissance at some nuclear sites in preparation for a possible attack.

The parliamentary intelligence and security committee has reported that Iran represented one of the three biggest security threats to Britain. The UN security council has given Iran until the end of this month to halt its uranium enrichment activities. The UN has threatened sanctions if Tehran fails to do so.

A senior Tanzanian customs official said the illicit uranium shipment was found hidden in a consignment of coltan, a rare mineral used to make chips in mobile telephones. The shipment was destined for smelting in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, delivered via Bandar Abbas, Iran’s biggest port.

“There were several containers due to be shipped and they were all routinely scanned with a Geiger counter,” the official said.

“This one was very radioactive. When we opened the container it was full of drums of coltan. Each drum contains about 50kg of ore. When the first and second rows were removed,the ones after that were found to be drums of uranium.”

In a nuclear reactor, uranium 238 can be used to breed plutonium used in nuclear weapons.

The customs officer, who spoke to The Sunday Times on condition he was not named, added: “The container was put in a secure part of the port and it was later taken away, by the Americans, I think, or at least with their help. We have all been told not to talk to anyone about this.”

The Tanzanian government left "no doubt" that this uranium was definitely transported from Lubumbashi by road through Zambia to the united republic of Tanzania.”

Is Iran really intent on building a Nuclear Weapon?
Here is a timeline of Iranian nuclear imports for the past five decades, by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

1987 - Iran receives a centrifuge design, starter kit for uranium enrichment program from Pakistan.

1988-1989 Iran receives large quantities of uranium concentrate from South Africa.

1989 - China supplies them with an unspecified number of calutrons, used in the uranium isotope separation process.

In 1991 Iran imports a 27kw research reactor and uranium enrichment equipment from China.

1991 - Iran imports from Kazakhstan at least two nuclear warheads.

In 1993 a claim is made by the British Broadcasting Cooperation that Iran imported Beryllium, a key component in nuclear weapons production, and 100 tons of Uranium from Kazakhstan.

In 1994 Iran imports Uranium hexafluoride, commonly known as UF6, from China.

In 1995 China installs a calutron system for enriching uranium at a nuclear research facility at Karaj, about 100 miles northwest of Tehran.

1998 - Russia increases the number of it's nuclear experts to Iran, for the Bushehr nuclear power plant to 1,100.

1999 - 38 Iranian nuclear specialists get trained at the Russian facility Atomtekhenergo.

In 2001 the National Council of Resistance of Iran claims Iran received Highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Pakistan.

2002 - According to Russian intelligence, Iranian scientists being trained at the NIKIET institute of Russia and acquiring knowledge that can be used for Iran's nuclear weapons program.

2003 - Iran was supplied with Uranium enrichment equipment, by the Western European company, Urenco.

In 2005 France supplied Iran with 300 units of Nickel 63 tritium targets, a dual use material that could be used to build a nuclear bomb.

Update: Iran plans to expand nuclear activities

Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Sunday that Iran will expand uranium enrichment, in defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution giving the Islamic Republic until Aug. 31 to halt the activity or face the threat of political and economic sanctions.

Ali Larijani called the U.N. Security Council resolution issued last week illegal and said Iran won't respect the deadline. "We reject this resolution," he told reporters.

"We will expand nuclear activities where required. It includes all nuclear technology including the string of centrifuges," Larijani said, referring to the centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium.

Prairie Pundit says Send Joe Wilson to Tanzania