By Francois Murphy
below is a summary of what is known, and not, about the current status of Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, which is at the heart of its nuclear infrastructure While it is not clear what exactly he meant. Iran also had stocks of uranium enriched to lower levels. No other country has enriched uranium to such a high level without producing nuclear weapons. The US and its European allies say there is no civil justification. The other two, at Natanz and Fordow, were at least badly damaged and are widely believed to be out of action.
That is enough, if enriched further, for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.
VIENNA, – US Vice President JD Vance told Reuters on Monday that Iran must make a “meaningful” reduction in its uranium enrichment capacity to satisfy US demands and end the countries’ seven-month war. They argued that Iran was getting too close to being able to produce a nuclear weapon, but the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said it had no credible indication of a coordinated weapons programme. The IAEA said the enrichment level and quantity produced were of serious concern. Of the three enrichment plants, the only above-ground one, at the sprawling Natanz nuclear facility, was destroyed, the IAEA has said. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said in March his agency believes “a bit more than 200 kg” of Iran’s uranium enriched to up to 60% remains in the tunnel complex at Isfahan, with some also still at Natanz While some of Iran’s enriched uranium will have been destroyed in the US-Israeli strikes.
