Mounting Global Tension as Iran Goes Nuclear

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad announced to the world that his country has now become a nuclear power. The world's apprehension was thereby confirmed. He, of course, took the precaution to say emphatically that Iran would not make nuclear bomb. But have the United States and Western countries that have always looked upon Iran with suspicion and threatened it ignored this precaution? Ahmadinejad's declaration that Iran has acquired the capacity of producing 20 percent or more of nuclear fuel and has achieved good results must have alerted Iran's critics.

New and Serious Tension
The United States and Western countries have been demanding that Iran carries out its uranium enrichment program in some other country decided on and by the United Nations under international inspection. However, the conditions put forward by Iran were not acceptable to the world. It was even unwilling to allow the UN nuclear agency to investigate openly into its nuclear program.
Iran has long been accused of conniving with countries like Pakistan and North Korea on nuclear weapons. In such a situation, Iran's latest announcement is likely to create a new and serious tension for the world. It may have to face far more strict restrictions, which are likely to prove dangerous for it in the long run.

Clamping Down Protestors
It needs to be noted that while Ahmadinejad was making the announcement, police and security forces were clamping down protestors. Opposition to the government, which was formed in Iran through the Islamic Revolution, is mounting day-by-day. The announcement on nuclear capability can, therefore, be seen as a political move to isolate the opposition from general masses. How far this strategy will help in ending internal tension in Iran is open to conjecture. Truly speaking, the new encirclement of Iran will add to people's woes.
The United States will be faced with the problem of keeping Israel cool after Iran's announcement. Israel keeps threatening that if Iran tries to make such a weapon, it would attack the country to destroy the same.