Nuclear Iran: A Glossary of Terms
At a time when the possibility of military action against Iran’s nuclear program is being hotly debated, the need for a clear understanding of the issues and the controversial science and technology behind them has never been more acute. Toward that end, The Washington Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs have copublished an interactive online glossary of terms used in the discussion about Iran, prepared by proliferation expert Simon Henderson and Olli Heinonen, former deputy director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The new study comes out just when the IAEA is distributing its latest report on Iran in advance of the September 10 Board of Governors meeting in Vienna. Covering the jargon and history behind IAEA inspections, centrifuge enrichment, basic nuclear physics, and early nuclear weapons development in Pakistan and the United States, it provides an indispensable guide to an increasingly complex problem.