Iran is “weeks” away from being able to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the fiscal 2027 defense authorization request and the state of the Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration, Wright said Iran is “frighteningly close” to producing weapons-grade enrichment.
In an exchange with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Wright said Iran could convert its existing stockpile of enriched uranium to weapons-grade material “in a small number of weeks,” though he noted additional steps would be required to develop a functional nuclear weapon.
“Frighteningly close. Yeah, they they are weeks, a small number of weeks, away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium. There’s still a weaponization process that happens after that, but they’re quite close,” Wright said.
Blumenthal asked whether that assessment applied to roughly one ton of enriched uranium. Wright replied that it did, reiterating that Iran is “only weeks away” from enriching that material to weapons-grade levels.
The Islamic regime is believed to possess 440 kilograms (970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short technical step from weapons-grade (90%) and enough to produce up to 10 bombs.
