Nuclear program of Iran

Iran's nuclear program, one of the most scrutinized in the world, has sparked intense international concern. While Iran asserts that its nuclear ambitions are purely for civilian purposes, including energy production, the country historically pursued the secretive AMAD nuclear weapons project (paused in 2003 according to U.S. intelligence), reaching the highest known levels among countries without military nuclear programs. This has raised fears that Iran is moving closer to developing nuclear weapons, a prospect that has led to rising tensions, particularly with Israel, the United States, and European nations. The issue remains a critical flashpoint in the Middle East, with ongoing military and diplomatic confrontations. According to The New York Times in 2025, "If Iran is truly pursuing a nuclear weapon—which it officially denies—it is taking more time than any nuclear-armed nation in history." Iran's nuclear program began in the 1950s under the Pahlavi dynasty with United States support. It expanded in the 1970s with plans for power reactors, paused after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and resumed secretly during the 1980s Iran–Iraq War. Undeclared enrichment sites at Natanz and Arak were exposed in 2002, and Fordow, an underground fuel enrichment site, was revealed in 2009. Iran's nuclear program has been a focal point of international scrutiny for decades. In 2003, Iran suspended its formal nuclear weapons program, and claims its program is for peaceful purposes only, yet analysts and the IAEA have refuted such claims. As of May 2024 Iran was producing enriched uranium at 60% purity, and was accelerating its nuclear advancements by installing more advanced centrifuges. Analysts warn that these activities far exceed any plausible civilian purpose. Estimates suggest that Iran could produce enough weapons-grade uranium for one nuclear bomb within a week and accumulate enough for seven within a month, raising fears that its breakout time has shortened drastically. The destruction of Israel is frequently cited as one of several strategic objectives behind Iran's nuclear ambitions. Concerns include nuclear proliferation, nuclear terrorism, and increased support for terrorism and insurgency. In response to Iran's nuclear program, the international community imposed sanctions that severely impacted its economy, restricting its oil exports and limiting access to global financial systems. Covert operations such as the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010 sought to disrupt the program. In 2015, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed, imposing strict limitations on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. In 2018, the United States withdrew from the agreement, leading to re-imposed sanctions. Since then, Iran's nuclear program has expanded dramatically, with enriched uranium stockpiles exceeding JCPOA limits by tens of times, some nearing weapons-grade purity. In October 2023, an IAEA report estimated Iran had increased its uranium stockpile 22 times over the 2015 agreed JCPOA limit. According to the IAEA, Iran is "the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material". In the last months of the Biden administration, new intelligence persuaded US officials that Iran was exploring a gun-type fission weapon, a cruder design that could enable Iran to manufacture a nuclear weapon, undeliverable by missile, in a matter of months. The US and Iran have engaged in bilateral negotiations since April 2025, aiming to curb Iran's program for sanctions relief, though Iran's leaders have refused to stop enriching uranium. On 12 June 2025, the IAEA found Iran non-compliant with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years. Iran retaliated by launching a new enrichment site and installing advanced centrifuges. One day later, Israel, which is not a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, launched the Iran–Israel war and coordinated strikes across Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and damaging Natanz and other sites. Eight days later, the United States bombed three Iranian nuclear sites.

On August 28, 2025, E3 members, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, initiated the process of the snapback mechanism, stating that despite upholding their own commitments, since 2019 Iran had "increasingly and deliberately ceased performing its JCPOA commitments", including "the accumulation of a highly enriched uranium stockpile which lacks any credible civilian justification and is unprecedented for a state without a nuclear weapons program". On 28 September 2025, UN sanctions were officially reimposed on Iran.