As a nuclear expert, here’s what Trump is getting wrong about Iran’s uranium stockpile

Key Points:

• Iran has been enriching uranium, including to levels (up to 60%) that suggest potential weaponization, though it officially maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes; the exact location of this highly enriched uranium is currently unknown.
• US and Israeli attacks have targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities to prevent weapon development, but these strikes risk spreading radioactive material and creating a "dirty bomb" scenario rather than a nuclear explosion.
• Iran has consistently stated it does not seek nuclear weapons and has religious and historical precedents against their use, but instability following potential conflict could lead to nuclear material falling into illicit hands or hostile states.
• Attacks on nuclear power plants, such as those seen in Ukraine, pose serious risks of radioactive contamination but are not comparable in scale or impact to nuclear weapon detonations; international law prohibits such attacks.
• The 2015 Iran nuclear deal successfully limited Iran's nuclear weapons capabilities through strict monitoring, but the US withdrawal in 2018 and subsequent sanctions led to renewed uranium enrichment and heightened tensions, underscoring the need for diplomatic negotiation over military action to prevent nuclear proliferation.