US energy secretary says Iran is close to nuclear weapons capability
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers that Iran is “frighteningly close” to developing nuclear weapons during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Wright said Iran is only weeks away from being able to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, referring to the country’s current stockpile of enriched uranium. He noted that while additional weaponization steps would still be required, Iran is already very close to the capability needed to construct a nuclear weapon, News.Az reports, citing The Jerusalem Post.
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According to Wright, Iran currently possesses uranium enriched up to 60%, while weapons-grade uranium generally requires enrichment levels of around 90%.
The US energy secretary also said that even uranium enriched to 20% is “very concerning” due to the size of Iran’s stockpile.
His remarks come amid ongoing international concerns over Iran’s nuclear program and continued tensions surrounding uranium enrichment activities.
By Leyla Şirinova
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