The New York Times wrote on June 8 that after Iranian regime’s declaration that it planed to triple production of its highly enriched uranium, nuclear experts worried that “the production of more concentrated fuel could bring Iran closer to the ability to rapidly make weapons-grade uranium for a bomb.”
Iranian regime’s explanation that the 20% enriched uranium was for research purposes was seen by outside experts as a “cover for moving much closer to the ability to make bomb-grade fuel.” Due to these efforts, “it is a comparatively short leap from 20 percent enrichment to weapon fuel,” New York Times reported.
“If Iran can increase enrichment, the country will be in a better position to threaten what nuclear experts call “breakout” — a hectic dash to make a weapon.”
The Institute for Science and International Security, which closely follows the Iranian regime’s nuclear program, wrote in a briefing: “All of this supports a possible ongoing effort by Iran to slowly acclimatize the international community to conditions that would make a breakout to nuclear weapons more feasible,” New York Times wrote.
Indicating that a year of enrichment to 20 percent at Fordow by the Iranian regime would result in sufficient amount of uranium for a nuclear weapon, David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, said that Fordow site is “heavily fortified” and “less vulnerable to aerial strikes” than the sprawling Natanz enrichment plant in the desert, New York Times wrote.
