When the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran on Feb. 28, President Donald Trump said one of the main objectives was to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.That has put a focus on Iran’s stockpile of uranium and its program to convert this naturally occurring element into material that can sustain a nuclear reaction — a process called enrichment. Several key nuclear sites in Iran were attacked by the U.S. and Israel last summer, and again during the latest war.Iran’s leaders insist the country’s nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. Before the war began, it had a stockpile of enriched uranium that was a short, technical step from weapons-grade material, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003, the U.N. agency and Western nations say.Here’s a deeper look at uranium enrichment and Iran’s nuclear program.
What is uranium enrichment?Uranium, like other elements, is found in slightly different configurations. One, called U-235, is best at powering nuclear reactions. It is less stable than the more common form, which means it’s easier to split to release the energy needed for producing electricity or a weapon. But U-235 makes up less than 1% of the uranium found in nature. To isolate the more desirable U-235, scientists strip away its more stable cousin, U-238, through a process known as enrichment.
