Energy Secretary Testifies Iran Remains Weeks from Weapons-Grade Uranium Enrichment

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that Iran is a small number of weeks away from enriching uranium to weapons-grade. There’s still a weaponization process that happens after that, but they’re quite close," Wright said.

He added that Iran is quite close to developing weapons-grade enriched uranium and described the nuclear progress as very concerning. Wright stated that Iran has some 20% enriched uranium, which is several more weeks behind the 60% level. "They have some 20% enriched uranium, and that’s several more weeks behind [the] 60%," he said.

When at 60% enrichment, a country is way closer to 90% of the way to weapons-grade uranium enrichment, Wright told the committee. There is about a ton of 60% enriched uranium in Iran, according to both Wright and Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Iran also has another 11 tons of uranium at a lower level of enrichment. Special envoy Steve Witkoff claimed that Iran boasted about having enough 60% enriched uranium to make 11 nuclear bombs if further enriched to 90%. Blumenthal mused that Trump would likely have to secure the other 11 tons of 20% enriched uranium in addition to the 1 ton of 60% enriched uranium.

Wright replied that the goal is to prevent future enrichment of uranium and to end Iran's nuclear program. "I think that’s the wise strategy.

Yes, to have a safe world, we need to end their nuclear program," Wright said. U.S. and Israel bombed Iran's nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer last year. The two allies struck the facilities again earlier this year in Operation Epic Fury.