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Iran Claims to Have 80% of Uranium Needed to Build Nuclear Bomb

Iran has enriched more than 120 kg. of 20% enriched uranium, the head of its atomic energy organization, Mohammad Eslami, said Saturday evening, October 9, state news agency IRNA reported.

“We have passed 120 kilograms,” IRNA quoted him as saying. “We have more than that figure.”

“Our people know well that they [Western powers] were meant to give us the enriched fuel at 20% to use in the Tehran reactor, but they haven’t done so,” Eslami said. “If our colleagues do not do it, we would naturally have problems with the lack of fuel for the Tehran reactor.”

If true, the numbers could be considered a major jump forward in uranium enrichment, potentially toward a nuclear weapon if Tehran made the choice to try and break the nuclear threshold.

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had 84.3 kg. of uranium enriched to 20%.

According to the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, 155 kg. of 20% enriched uranium would be enough to eventually be scaled up to weaponized uranium for a nuclear bomb.

That would mean 120 kg. would be almost 80% of the way there.

According to a recent JINSA report, “Iran is actively reducing the growth of its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium, which represents nine-tenths of the effort to achieve fissile material. Since starting in January, Iran cumulatively has enriched an estimated 152 kg. uranium to 20% at a rate of 19 kg./month.”

JINSA said: “To limit its stockpile, Iran has been converting some of it to uranium metal, which, while worrisome because this process is one of the steps to a nuclear weapon, means this material can no longer be used to enrich fissile material.”

In recent weeks, Tehran has given mixed messages about whether it would return to nuclear talks with the US and world powers and rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action’s nuclear-deal limits in exchange for Washington lifting sanctions or whether it is stalling for some other purpose.

In the meantime, since mid-September, the IAEA has heavily criticized Iran for blocking its access and disabling some of its nuclear monitoring equipment. (JPost / VFI News)

“God, we ask that you keep Your people safe from nuclear war.“

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