What 'nuclear dust' means? Trump claims Iran may give up enriched uranium as Tehran denies 'transfer claim'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "What 'nuclear dust' means? Trump claims Iran may give up enriched uranium as Tehran denies 'transfer claim'")
US President Donald Trump Photograph: (AFP)
Donald Trump claims Iran may hand over buried enriched uranium. Tehran has denied the deal, but it could mark a major step in limiting nuclear weapon risks
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran is prepared to hand over its so-called “nuclear dust” to the United States, a term he uses to describe Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium believed to be buried underground after US strikes on key nuclear sites last June. There has been no immediate confirmation from Iran regarding any such agreement in ongoing talks with the US or through Pakistani intermediaries. If true, however, the move would mark a major step toward limiting Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon. "There will be no enrichment of Uranium," Trump said, adding that the United States would work with Iran to "dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) nuclear 'dust.'"
How much uranium does Iran have?
Before US and Israeli airstrikes in June, Iran was estimated to possess over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, along with nearly 200 kilograms enriched to 20%, material that can be further refined to weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is intended for civilian energy production and energy security. However, available data has raised doubts about that claim.
Tehran has announced plans to expand its nuclear electricity generation capacity to 20 gigawatts by 2041. Currently, its only operational nuclear facility is the Bushehr power plant, built by Russia and operational since 2013, with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. This contributes roughly 1% to Iran’s total electricity output. To address a 25,000-megawatt shortfall, Iran would need to construct about 25 similar plants, each taking nearly two decades to complete.
Energy strategist Umud Shokri said in an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW), “Iran holds some of the world's largest natural gas and oil reserves, enabling electricity generation at costs significantly lower than nuclear power.” "In practice, its electricity mix remains dominated by natural gas, while nuclear contributes only a small share from the single operating Bushehr reactor."
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
Where is Iran’s uranium stored?
A significant portion of Iran’s enriched uranium is believed to be buried beneath a mountainous site damaged during US airstrikes, operations Trump previously claimed had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. According to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, most of Iran’s nuclear material is located at two of the three targeted sites: an underground tunnel at the Isfahan nuclear complex and storage at Natanz. Reports suggest Iran still possesses centrifuges and retains the capability to establish new underground enrichment facilities.
The ongoing nuclear standoff
Iran’s nuclear program remains a central point of contention between Washington and Tehran. The US considers Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile a serious security threat due to its potential use in nuclear weapons. While Iran insists it does not seek nuclear arms, a pledge not to build them in the future may carry limited weight.
However, handing over existing enriched uranium would represent a more meaningful concession, though concerns would remain if Iran retains enrichment capabilities. US officials have said that last year’s joint US-Israeli strikes destroyed or disabled many of Iran’s centrifuges. Still, it is widely believed that additional equipment remains operational.
