It’s no secret that since overthrowing the Shah of Iran in 1979 to establish a theocratic government the Islamic Republic of Iran – the world’s leading exporter of terrorism who wants death to both Israel and the United States – also wants nuclear weapons. And, despite repeated attempts by Conservative administrations in both Israel and the United States to delay or prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated Iran’s still working to get them:
“[The Iranians] have 10,000, roughly, kilograms of fissionable material. That’s broken up into roughly 460 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, another thousand kilograms of 20% enriched uranium, and the balance is at 3.67 [percent enrichment]. They manufacture their own centrifuges to enrich this material, so there’s almost no stopping them. They have an endless supply of it.”
“In that first meeting, both the Iranian negotiators said to us directly — with no shame — that they controlled 460 kilograms of 60% [enriched uranium] and that they’re aware that could make 11 nuclear bombs. That was the beginning of their negotiating stance… they were proud of it. They were proud that they had evaded all sorts of oversight protocols to get to a place where they could deliver 11 nuclear bombs.”
- Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy, speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, 1-2 March 2026
When President Trump and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury and Operation Lion’s Roar, respectively, partly in response to Iran’s claims, some Democrats and the Liberal Media responded by stating there was no “immediate threat”, and that (rather hypocritically) Trump was “too mentally incapacitated“. And, in a display of utter hypocrisy, Democrats have already attempted to invoke the War Powers Act to limit Trump’s actions: Something they didn’t do when Obama bombed Libya and Biden bombed Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
But why was Iran’s claim of 10,000 kilograms of fissionable material so troublesome and concerning?
Let’s step back and take a look…
Although natural uranium ore is relatively plentiful only a very small portion of it – the 0.7204% that’s Uranium U-235 – can be used to produce a chain reaction (i.e.: is fissionable), and to do that it first must be separated and concentrated (“enriched”) to increase its’ purity.
The level of enrichment depends on how the U-235 will be used:
| Typical Uranium Enrichment Levels | ||
| • | 3-5% |
“Low Enriched Uranium” (LEU) Sufficient to generate electricity in a Nuclear power plant. |
| • | 8-10% | Allows a Nuclear power plant to run longer before refueling. |
| • | 5-20% |
Typically used in research reactors, state-of-the-art reactors (e.g.: SMRs), and the medical industry..
|
| • | 20-90% |
“High-Enriched Uranium” (HEU) Can be used in weapons such as “Dirty Bombs” (which spread radioactive particles when exploded). Can also be used for Nuclear weapons: As the enrichment level increases the amount of uranium needed for a warhead becomes smaller while yielding the same destructive force, or more destructive for the same amount. |
| • | 90% or More |
“Weapon-Grade Uranium” (WGU) The preferred range for Nuclear weapons: The amount needed for a warhead is small (about the size of an apple) while providing substantial destructive force. |
In simple terms, Uranium U-235 is enriched by converting the ore into uranium hexaflouride gas (UF6), spinning the gas in a centrifuge to separate out the U-235, feeding the exhausted gas into another centrifuge to enrich it further, and then repeating this process until the desired level of enrichment is reached.
Currently 14 countries have the ability to enrich uranium, with Russia having by far the most capability, followed by China, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and finally the United States.
And, as the enrichment level increases the amount of time (in months) and work (expressed as “Separative Work Units“, or SWUs) needed to enrich it DECREASES:
Back in 2017 Iran was estimated to have about 10,896 centrifuges, and would need roughly 5 to 14 weeks to enrich power reactor Uranium to weapon-grade Uranium:
The US Military’s previous campaign to frustrate Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions, Operation Midnight Hammer of June 22, 2025, claimed to cause “extremely severe damage and destruction” to Iran’s enrichment capability. Did the US Military misjudge the damage inflicted? Did President Trump exaggerate the mission’s success? Did Iran repair the damage since then, or do they have other facilities unknown to the world? Did the Iranian negotiators lie to US Special Envoy Witkoff and Senior Advisor Jared Kushner?
In the practical aspect none of those questions matter: What matters is that if Iran were to make one of their missiles nuclear-capable and it reaches a target here’s who stands to directly suffer the consequences:
And, should the target be a major Middle East oilfield, refinery, or pipeline the disruption to the US Economy – and most of the industrialized nations generally – would be catastrophic.
Isn’t that enough of an “immediate”, “imminent”, and “intolerable” threat to the United States to warrant action? Both now and in the future?
Added Bonus!
Watch Steve Witkoff’s interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity:
Thanks for Reading!
