Israel Matzav

US company working with Iran on nuclear what?

An Iranian university and a New Jersey-based company have signed a contract to develop a nuclear fusion machine according to Iran's FARS News (Hat Tip: MFS - The Other News).

Tehran's Islamic Azad University and New Jersey-based Lawrenceville Plasma Physics Inc will jointly design a fusion machine that "would be affordable to construct in industrializing nations", according to a contract signed last weekend and seen and reported by the Guardian.

The partnership comes amid US allegations about Iran's civilian nuclear technology.

Skeptics doubt whether US trade sanctions will permit the collaboration. But LPP claimed in a written statement that the pact qualifies as an official US department of treasury exemption "which authorizes collaborating with academics and research institutions on the … creation and enhancement of written publications."

LPP is scheduled to notify the president's council of advisors on science and technology of its Iranian partnership at 2pm ET on Friday in Washington DC.

It's interesting that when I searched the name "Lawrenceville Plasma Physics" on Google, I got a warning that the site may be compromised.

In any event, fusion is not what causes a nuclear explosion - that's fission. Still, one has to wonder whether and why the United States would allow one of its own companies to enter into such an agreement with any Iranian entity. Sanctions? What sanctions?

Labels: Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:57 PM