US President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate over Iran’s nuclear programme by claiming that Tehran may be willing to hand over what he described as “nuclear dust” — a term he uses for highly enriched uranium believed to be buried beneath damaged nuclear facilities. The remarks come amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran over uranium enrichment and nuclear capabilities.
Trump’s statement refers to material that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes remains hidden underground following US-led strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites in June last year. According to Trump, the United States would work with Iran to excavate and remove this material, while reiterating that “there will be no enrichment of uranium.” However, Iranian authorities have not confirmed any agreement to such terms, leaving the claim unverified.
Prior to the strikes, Iran was estimated to possess over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, along with nearly 200 kilograms enriched to 20 percent. Experts note that such material can be further refined to weapons-grade levels of around 90 percent. While Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for civilian energy purposes, international observers have raised concerns over the scale and level of enrichment.
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Iran’s nuclear energy ambitions include plans to expand electricity generation capacity to 20 gigawatts by 2041. At present, however, its only operational nuclear facility is the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, which produces roughly 1,000 megawatts — accounting for about one percent of the country’s total electricity output. Analysts argue that given Iran’s vast reserves of oil and natural gas, nuclear power remains a relatively minor and costly component of its energy mix.
Much of the enriched uranium stockpile is believed to be located at sites such as Isfahan and Natanz, which were targeted during the US strikes. Rafael Grossi has indicated that key materials are stored in underground tunnels and facilities, some of which may have been partially damaged but not entirely destroyed. Reports also suggest that Iran retains the technical capability to rebuild enrichment infrastructure if needed.
The future of Iran-US nuclear negotiations remains uncertain. While Tehran has long denied pursuing nuclear weapons, Washington continues to view its enrichment activities as a significant security risk. Any agreement to transfer existing uranium stockpiles would mark a notable concession, though experts caution that it would not eliminate concerns if Iran maintains the capacity to resume enrichment in the future.
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