UN Nuclear Official Warns: Iran “Weeks, Not Months” Away from Having Sufficient Uranium for a Bomb

UN Nuclear Official Warns: Iran “Weeks, Not Months” Away from Having Sufficient Uranium for a Bomb

Emmitt Barry

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Deutsche Welle that Iran is “weeks rather than months” away from having enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb.

“But that does not mean that Iran has or would have a nuclear weapon in that space of time,” Grossi told Deutsche Welle.

He noted that while uranium enrichment at near weapons-grade levels is concerning, it doesn’t directly imply that Iran possesses a nuclear weapon. “A functional nuclear warhead requires many other things independently from the production of the fissile material,” Grossi said.

Grossi expressed concerns about the IAEA’s limited access in Iran, which fuels speculation about Tehran’s nuclear activities.

Grossi pointed out unresolved IAEA findings, such as traces of enriched uranium found in unexpected places, which heighten concerns about Iran’s transparency.

“I have been telling my Iranian counterparts time and again […] this activity raises eyebrows and compounded with the fact that we are not getting the necessary degree of access and visibility that I believe should be necessary,” he said. “When you put all of that together, then, of course, you end up with lots of question marks.”

Critics of the Iranian regime have been warning for years of Iran’s intentions of developing nuclear weapons, despite Iranian claims publicly that it is only for peaceful purposes. However, the credibility of these denials is eroded by the persistent calls from Iranian leaders for the “Death of Israel,” referring to it as the “Little Satan” and advocating for the destruction of the United States, labeling it as the “Great Satan.” Such rhetoric casts doubt on their declarations of pursuing a peaceful nuclear program.

In February 2024, Worthy News reported that Ali-Akbar Salehi, the former head of Iran’s nuclear agency, declared that Iran had “crossed all the thresholds of nuclear science and technology.”

During an interview with Iran International broadcaster, Salehi stated that all components needed to assemble a nuclear weapon were available.