Most of the stockpile was accumulated after the 2018 collapse of the nuclear deal, with material stored at multiple enrichment levels and in fortified sites, complicating monitoring and any effort to limit Iran’s nuclear capacity
International inspectors estimate that Iran now holds about 11 tons of uranium at varying enrichment levels — a stockpile that, if further processed, could be sufficient to produce up to 100 nuclear weapons, according to a report by The New York Times.
The report highlights that the scale of Iran’s overall reserves, rather than only its most highly enriched material, has become a central concern as nuclear negotiations resume. While a smaller portion of the stockpile is enriched close to weapons-grade, lower-enriched uranium can be further refined, making the total volume a key factor in assessing nuclear capability.
According to the report, the current stockpile represents a sharp increase from the period under the 2015 nuclear agreement, when Iran reduced its uranium holdings by about 97 percent and accepted strict limits on both enrichment levels and total volume. At that time, the remaining material was not sufficient for a single nuclear device.
The location of much of the uranium remains uncertain, the report adds, with some believed to be stored in underground or fortified facilities, complicating monitoring efforts.
Report: Iran has 11 tons of uranium, enough for up to 100 nuclear weapons
Most of the stockpile was accumulated after the 2018 collapse of the nuclear deal, with material stored at multiple enrichment levels and in fortified sites, complicating monitoring and any effort to limit Iran’s nuclear capacity