{"id":66451,"date":"2026-02-20T21:34:50","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T21:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/how-advanced-is-irans-nuclear-program-heres-what-we-know\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T21:34:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T21:34:50","slug":"how-advanced-is-irans-nuclear-program-heres-what-we-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/site.itshrt.com\/worldnews\/how-advanced-is-irans-nuclear-program-heres-what-we-know\/","title":{"rendered":"How advanced is Iran&#8217;s nuclear program? Here&#8217;s what we know."},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p><em>Washington <\/em>\u2014 President Trump is <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-dangles-investment-proposals-as-off-ramp-from-trumps-gunboat-diplomacy\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">pressuring Iran<\/a><\/span> to either curtail its nuclear program or face potential military strikes, grappling with an issue that has vexed presidents from both parties for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Iran \u2014 which denies any nuclear weapons ambitions \u2014 has amassed a growing stockpile of uranium that is enriched to near the level of purity necessary to build a bomb. Mr. Trump ordered strikes on a trio of key Iranian nuclear sites last June, but now, less than a year later, the president has suggested military action is on the table again.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They can&#8217;t have nuclear weapons. Very simple,&#8221; Mr. Trump said Thursday, adding that he wants a &#8220;substantial&#8221; deal with Iran, otherwise &#8220;bad things will happen.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. and Iran <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-dangles-investment-proposals-as-off-ramp-from-trumps-gunboat-diplomacy\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">have engaged in indirect negotiations<\/a><\/span> in recent weeks, as a fleet of U.S. naval vessels and military aircraft arrived in the Middle East.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Trump indicated Thursday that his timeline to reach a deal on Iran&#8217;s nuclear program is 10 to 15 days. He has not made a final decision on whether to strike Iran, <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/trump-possible-timeline-iran-strikes\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">CBS News has reported<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some details on Iran&#8217;s nuclear program:<\/p>\n<h2>How close is Iran to making a nuclear weapon, and is it building one right now?<\/h2>\n<p>In recent years, Iran has rapidly increased its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. As of mid-June 2025, shortly before the U.S.&#8217;s strikes, Iran had enriched some 972 pounds of uranium up to 60% purity, according to estimates from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2025-50.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">International Atomic Energy Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By comparison, Iran had <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/25\/03\/gov2025-8.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">605.8 pounds<\/a> of 60%-enriched uranium in February 2025, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2024-7.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">267.9 pounds<\/a> a year before that, the IAEA has said.<\/p>\n<p>That material is just a <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-has-amassed-even-more-near-weapons-grade-uranium-un-watchdog-says\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">short step<\/a><\/span> away from weapons-grade 90%-enriched uranium.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency <a href=\"https:\/\/armedservices.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/2025_dia_statement_for_the_record.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">estimated last May<\/a> that it would take Iran &#8220;probably less than one week&#8221; to produce enough weapons-grade uranium to make its first bomb, if it decided to do so. Actually building a bomb <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/articles\/what-are-irans-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">could take somewhat longer<\/a>: Another intelligence summary from last year <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/u-s-intel-assessed-iran-3-to-8-months-from-nuclear-weapon\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">found that<\/a><\/span> Iran could make a nuclear device within three to eight months unless it faced technical or logistical delays, CBS News has previously reported.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s not clear, however, is whether Iran has made the decision to build a nuclear weapon. Iran is believed to have <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/us-iran-halted-nuke-program-in-2003\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">halted its nuclear weapons program<\/a><\/span> in 2003, and the U.S. intelligence community <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dni.gov\/index.php\/newsroom\/congressional-testimonies\/congressional-testimonies-2025\/4061-ata-hpsci-opening-statement-as-delivered\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">assessed last spring<\/a> that the program hadn&#8217;t restarted.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so,&#8221; the DIA <a href=\"https:\/\/armedservices.house.gov\/uploadedfiles\/2025_dia_statement_for_the_record.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">said in May<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Asked on Feb. 18 whether the U.N.&#8217;s International Atomic Energy Agency had seen any indication that Iran might currently be working to develop a nuclear weapon, the agency&#8217;s director general <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/us-iran-war-risks-iaea-says-nuclear-material-still-there-war-could-spiral\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Rafael Grossi told<\/a><\/span> a French television network it had not.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;No,&#8221; he told TF1, adding: &#8220;On the contrary, I see, today, a willingness on both sides to reach an agreement,&#8221; referring to the U.S. and Iran.<\/p>\n<p>Iran, for its part, has long insisted that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, and that it <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-religious-decree-against-nuclear-weapons-is-binding\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">does not intend<\/a><\/span> to develop a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s stockpile includes uranium enriched far beyond the level needed for most non-military uses like nuclear power or medical applications. The IAEA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/25\/03\/gov2025-8.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">said in May<\/a> that Iran is now &#8220;the only non-nuclear-weapon State to produce such nuclear material.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>What impact did the last U.S. strikes on Iran have?<\/h2>\n<p>Last June&#8217;s airstrikes <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/israeli-airstrikes-iran-nuclear-sites-what-we-know\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">targeted<\/a><\/span> Iran&#8217;s Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities and a research site near the city of Isfahan. It&#8217;s not clear how much the strikes damaged Iran&#8217;s nuclear program.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Trump has long said the strikes &#8220;obliterated&#8221; the three nuclear sites, <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-us-trump-israel-iranian-nuclear-program-threat-of-new-war\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">setting back the program<\/a><\/span> by &#8220;basically decades.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The IAEA&#8217;s Grossi <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/transcript-rafael-mariano-grossi-international-atomic-energy-agency-face-the-nation-with-margaret-brennan-june-28-2025\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">told CBS News<\/a><\/span> in June that the strikes caused &#8220;severe damage&#8221; but not &#8220;total damage.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In his interview with the French network, Grossi said Iran&#8217;s nuclear material was &#8220;still there, in large quantities,&#8221; despite the U.S. strikes, though &#8220;some of it may be less accessible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-nuclear-sites-protest-activity-satellite-photos\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">Satellite images<\/a><\/span> from late January show roofs built over damaged buildings at the Natanz and Isfahan sites, potentially indicating efforts by Iran to salvage any remaining materials.<\/p>\n<p>The IAEA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2025-50.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">says<\/a> it withdrew its inspectors from Iran for safety reasons shortly after the June strikes, and Iran moved to suspend cooperation with the agency the following month. The agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/gov2025-65.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">said in November<\/a> that it had been able to conduct some inspections in the months following the attacks, but not at any of the sites that were struck by U.S. forces.<\/p>\n<p>Iran downplayed the strikes, <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-foreign-minister-interview-nuclear-talks\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">arguing<\/a><\/span> that they didn&#8217;t eliminate its technological capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Yes, you destroyed the facilities, the machines,&#8221; Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Fox News last month. &#8220;But the technology cannot be bombed, and the determination also cannot be bombed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2>What&#8217;s the history of Iran&#8217;s nuclear program?<\/h2>\n<p>Iran&#8217;s nuclear program <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/crs-product\/RL34544\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dates back decades<\/a>, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/sixty-years-of-atoms-for-peace-and-irans-nuclear-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">some early research activity<\/a> taking place under the U.S.-allied government that controlled the country before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. By the mid-1980s, Iran started developing \u2014 or <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/pakistan-nuke-father-aided-iran\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">acquiring on the black market<\/a><\/span> \u2014 the technology required to build centrifuges that can enrich uranium, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2007-58.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">according to the IAEA<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The country&#8217;s ambitions drew intense international pressure starting in 2002, when an anti-regime group <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-space-launches-politics-iran-persian-gulf-tensions-92b5e8e550ea6ad132941e48697ca728\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">alleged<\/a> that Iran had secretly built a pair of nuclear facilities. Former President George W. Bush&#8217;s administration <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/powell-iran-pursuing-nukes\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">later alleged<\/a><\/span> that Iran was working to develop missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaea.org\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/gov2011-65.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IAEA has said<\/a> that until 2003, Iran had a &#8220;structured program&#8221; to carry out &#8220;activities that are relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.&#8221; The agency added that some of those activities have military and non-military uses, but some &#8220;are specific to nuclear weapons.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While the U.S. intelligence assessment was that Iran stopped trying to develop nuclear weapons in 2003, the country resumed enriching uranium at various points after that. As a result, it had faced years of increasingly tight sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, President Barack Obama&#8217;s administration struck a deal with Iran and other global powers to limit the country&#8217;s uranium stockpiles and enrichment capacity for a set period of time, and to submit Iran&#8217;s nuclear program to IAEA monitoring, in exchange for sanctions relief. The agreement was known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.<\/p>\n<p>Three years later, Mr. Trump <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/live-news\/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-announcement-today-2018-05-08-live-stream-updates\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">withdrew the U.S. unilaterally from that deal<\/a><\/span>, which he argued was insufficient. He imposed a new round of harsh sanctions, dubbing it a &#8220;maximum pressure&#8221; campaign to force Iran to negotiate a new agreement. Efforts by the Biden administration and European parties to the JCPOA to <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/biden-middle-east-trip-israel-saudi-arabia-iran-nuclear-program\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">revive the deal<\/a><\/span> were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n<p>Since then, Iran has stopped abiding by the terms of that agreement, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfr.org\/articles\/what-are-irans-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">dramatically ramping<\/a> up its uranium enrichment program, including by <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-nuclear-unanium-enrichment-60-percent-us-talks\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">enriching uranium<\/a><\/span> to 60% purity for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>Araghchi <span class=\"link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-foreign-minister-interview-nuclear-talks\/\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\">told CBS News shortly after last year&#8217;s strikes<\/a><\/span> that Iran would &#8220;not easily back down from enrichment,&#8221; declaring the program &#8220;a matter of national pride and glory.&#8221;<\/p>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n<\/section>\n<p>  <!-- data-recirc-source=\"chartbeat\" --><\/p>\n<aside class=\"component list recirculation component--type-recirculation  component--type-recirculation-collection\">\n<div class=\"component__heading-wrapper recirc\">\n<h3 class=\"component__title\">The Standoff with Iran<br \/>\n                          <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/feature\/nuclear-iran\/?intcid=CNI-00-10aaa3a\" class=\"component__view-more component__view-more--lg\" data-invalid-url-rewritten-http=\"\"><br \/>\n                More<br \/>\n                <svg viewbox=\"0 0 32 32\" class=\"icon__caret-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                  <use xlink:href=\"#icon-caret-down\"\/>\n                <\/svg><br \/>\n              <\/a><br \/>\n                      <\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"component__item-recirc-block\">\n<p><h3 class=\"component__title\">Go deeper with The Free Press<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<section class=\"content__body--footer\">\n      <!-- tags --><\/p>\n<section class=\"content__tags\">\n<p class=\"content__tags__label\">In:<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- ItShrt World News -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-6606220950177433\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"1882483372\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/iran-nuclear-program-what-to-know-trump-negotiations-enrichment\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington \u2014 President Trump is pressuring Iran to either curtail its nuclear program or face potential military strikes, grappling with<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":66452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[1528,1723],"class_list":["post-66451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-iran","tag-iran-nuclear-program"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How advanced is Iran&#039;s nuclear program? 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