TEHRAN – Lebanon’s Al Intiqad Website has reviewed Iran’s political, nuclear, military and technological achievements during the year 2010.

According to the report, Iran made significant achievements last year despite international sanctions imposed against the country, and it shows that Iran has a pioneering role among the Islamic and regional nations and has become a major international player.
In the area of nuclear technology, Iran succeeded to enrich uranium to a purity of 20 percent, launched its first nuclear power plant in Bushehr, test operated its new centrifuges, and developed a complete nuclear fuel cycle after production of yellow cake in Bandarabbas.
The Tehran Declaration which was signed between Iran, Turkey, and Brazil on May 17 also was an important nuclear development.
Based on the Tehran Declaration, Iran was to ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
But, the Western powers ignored the swap deal and the Security Council imposed new round of sanctions on Iran.
Talks in Geneva in early December can be regarded as a great diplomatic achievement for Tehran as well, because during the talks, which were resumed after a 14-month hiatus, Iran made it clear that it will not negotiate on its inalienable nuclear rights with any country.
Iran’s military achievements also were considerable. During the year 2010, Iran held five major military exercises like the five-day Defenders of the Sky of Velayat III and test-fired various kinds of torpedoes and missiles including Nour cruise missiles, Fajr naval missiles, and long-range Sejjil and Shahab-3 missiles.
The Islamic Republic also unveiled first domestically manufactured long-range unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Karrar, the first Iranian submarine Tareq, and a number of medium-range and long-range radars.
The report also praises the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s significant fatwa issued in October 2010 prohibiting insult against the companions of Prophet Muhammad (S) and his wives.
The move, which was widely welcomed by a number of Sunni figures like the chancellor of Al-Azhar University of Islamic Sciences Ahmad al-Tayyib, came after Kuwaiti Shia cleric Yasser Al-Habib insulted Aisha, a wife of Prophet Muhammad (S).