Iran already has enough uranium enriched to up to 60%, if enriched further, to make three nuclear bombs, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s theoretical definition, and more at lower enrichment levels. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.
Iran is enriching to up to 60%, close to the roughly 90% that is weapons grade, at its Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) in its sprawling Natanz complex and at its Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), which is dug into a mountain.
“The Agency confirms that, since the end of November 2023, the rate at which Iran has been producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235 at these two facilities combined has increased to approximately 9 kg per month,” the report to member states said.
Critical mass for U-235 is 56kg, and fuel grade Uranium is between 3-5%.
There are no legitimate non-weapons applications of Uranium enriched above 20%.
Iran already has enough uranium enriched to up to 60%, if enriched further, to make three nuclear bombs,
Or in other words, “Iran doesn’t have enough enriched uranium to make any nuclear bombs, but we’re wording this pro-war propaganda in such a way that it sounds like they do”
It is unknown how much uranium they have enriched to 90%, but the IAEA have confirmed that at least 280kg have been enriched to 60%, and Iran is producing an additional 9kg per month from these facilities. I’m not overly familiar with how long the enrichment process will take to go from 60% to 90%, or even if it is a different process than their existing one.
But the jump from having sufficient materiel to having a functional physics package is extremely short and not at all complex - it’s taught in AP Physics classes and well described on wikipedia.
Point being that they are potentially mere months away from having nuclear weapons.
I hope they get one! Everyone deserves a little something nice
Oh they will. Straight from the US war money machine
Iran also said that October 7th was payback for Soleimani. Only took three months to come up with that one. But here, there is a long way from having enough enriched uranium and having a workable device. Perhaps their friends the Russians can help with that, though.
Trump killed Soleimani and tore up a non proliferation treaty that was working. Remember that? All the while being cheered by the Saudis and Israelis.
Good thing 45 saved us from having a more peaceful and moderate Iran. Obviously the solution is to get upset at 46 over Gaza and put 45 back in. /s
There are no legitimate non-weapons applications of uranium enriched above 20%>
Most nuclear reactors that power ships are ~93% enriched.
Honestly, the nuclear non-proliferation movement is dead and gone, and has been since February 2022 (really, since February 2014):
- If Ukraine had managed to keep their hands on even a handful of nukes instead of handing them off to Russia as a result of the Budapest Memorandum, Russia would not be invading Ukraine right now, because the consequence would be “Russian cities start turning into glass”.
- If the other signatories of the Budapest memorandum (the US and UK - I’m intentionally leaving Russia out for obvious reasons) had done more than effectively nothing in 2014, and had provided much more robust support - up to and including direct intervention to support Ukraine - in 2022, Russia would not be fucking around like this.
The Ukraine War has proven that nuclear weapons are the absolute final word in maintaining sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unilateral geopolitical power.
If Ukraine had any, Russia would not be able to prosecute the war without wildly disproportionate negative (nuclear) consequences from Ukraine.
If Russia didn’t have any, they would not be able to prosecute the war without proportionate negative (conventional; regime-change) internationally-driven consequences.
TL;DR: nuclear non-proliferation doesn’t work if you don’t strictly and vigorously enforce defense arrangements that are directly related to said non-proliferation.
There ARE non weapon application for uranium above 20%, just not very credible.
Fission detectors use a U5 90% coating
There are experimental reactors (I think in english they are call MTR) that are designed to work with U5 90%. Most of them were redesigned to operate with U5 20%… or well… decommissioned. But I think there are still a few (1? 2?) of them operating.
Fast breeder reactors require a higher enrichment… but I think it is credible from 15 to 30%, idk
Note, I’m not arguing that Iran is aiming to produce A-Bombs
Japan’s also discussing restarting their nuclear weapons program
Nuclear non-proliferation was a failure
Everyone should want nukes