President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a proposal that would allow Iran to resume uranium enrichment in about ten years. While Trump has offered various reasons for potential conflict with Iran, he consistently emphasizes preventing the country from obtaining nuclear weapons as a key goal.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran currently possesses 440.9kg of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, which is a significant step away from the 90% purity needed for weapons-grade material. The IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, has warned that Iran’s existing uranium stockpile could potentially be used to develop up to 10 nuclear bombs if the country decides to militarize its nuclear program.
A new proposal under consideration by Trump involves Iran suspending uranium enrichment for the near future and then gradually transitioning to producing low-enriched uranium over the next decade. This plan, as reported by the New York Times, aims to strike a balance between preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities and avoiding a deal similar to the 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump withdrew from.
Despite Iran’s claims of pursuing a peaceful nuclear program, the IAEA and Western nations suspect Iran of having had a clandestine nuclear weapons program until 2003. Due to limited inspections since 2025, it is challenging to verify the exact location of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be stored at various nuclear sites across the country.
Experts have expressed concerns about the difficulty of ensuring Iran’s compliance with restrictions on enriched uranium, given the logistical challenges of locating and removing such materials. The highly enriched uranium in Iran’s possession is stored in canisters, each holding around 50 kg of uranium hexafluoride gas, with estimates suggesting there could be up to dozens of these canisters.
While the canisters are designed for secure storage and transport, there are concerns about safety risks if they are damaged, potentially allowing moisture to compromise the uranium. David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector, highlighted the importance of maintaining the integrity of these canisters to prevent any hazardous incidents.
Overall, the proposal to allow Iran to resume uranium enrichment under controlled conditions reflects the complex diplomatic efforts to address Iran’s nuclear ambitions while avoiding a repeat of past agreements that failed to prevent Iran from advancing its nuclear capabilities.