Nuclear weapons discussions are heating up once again as a fifth round of talks between Iran and the United States came to a close on May 25 in Rome. “We will never stop uranium enrichment to use for diagnostics and treatment, health, agriculture, and industry, because [enrichment] is our right based on international law,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared during an interview with Oman TV last week.
Significant concern is growing as Iran continues refusing to disband their uranium enrichment programs, clinging to their nuclear power rights protected by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This international treaty, enforced since 1970, strives for complete nuclear disarmament through promoting cooperation, peaceful use of nuclear power, and preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon technology. Nearly every country is party to the treaty, including five nuclear weapons countries: United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France.
President Pezeshkian is focusing in on Article IV Section 1 of the treaty, which enforces the right of each party state to the research, production, and use of nuclear energy “for peaceful purposes without discrimination,” as well as Section 2 which ensures their ability for “further [development] of the applications of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, especially in the territories of non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty.”
But the Iranian president conveniently forgets Articles I and II, which requires all non-nuclear weapons states party to the treaty “not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.” Violations of this article by Tehran urged the U.N. Security Council to demand that Iran “suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing actives, including research and development.” Nonetheless, Iran continues enriching uranium unpunished for violating any treaties or agreements they are in.
Iran’s uranium enrichment practices aren’t new. With the help of the United States, Iran developed their nuclear program through a 1950s civilian nuclear program called “Atoms for Peace” to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology during the Cold War. Iran claims to be using this nuclear technology for “diagnostics and treatment, health, agriculture, and industry” and not enriching uranium for nuclear weapon creation.
The president further claims the “fatwa” issued by the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, prohibits Iran from producing or attaining nuclear weapons. No documentation of such a ruling has been provided by Iran. “Iran has never been and will never be seeking to produce or attain nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian insisted. Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said the U.S. proposal would be “responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran” and that Iran would agree with “elements” of the proposal.
But the White House isn’t looking for concessions. “The AUTOPEN should have stopped Iran a long time ago from ‘enriching.’ Under our potential Agreement — WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. Nonetheless, contradicting information is flowing from White House sources, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declining administration comments to the media “out of respect for the ongoing deal.”
But why is this a concern? During a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the gravity of the Iran nuclear situation: “[Iran is] at the threshold of a nuclear weapon. If they decided to do so, they could do so very quickly. If they stockpile enough of that 60 percent enriched, they could very quickly turn it into 90 and weaponize it.”
Iran’s high levels of uranium enrichment has become far more prevalent in recent years, and concerns over this issue are growing. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed to ensure the peacefulness of Iran’s nuclear program, was quickly ignored by Iran. The 2019 announcement from Iran that they had exceeded low-enriched uranium stockpile limits, and the following 2020 announcement that Iran would no longer adhere to the deal’s limitations, quickly proved Iran’s disinterest in playing by the rules. Although punishments through sanctions and outside pressure have been enforced, these repercussions have done little to quell Iran’s actions.
Iran’s main claim is their need for civilian-use uranium, such as nuclear power. Although civilian nuclear power requires 3-5% enriched uranium at most, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found notable amounts of 20% and even up to 60% enriched uranium in Iran’s stockpiles.
How do they do this? Natural uranium is made up of 99.3% uranium-238, and 0.7% uranium-235. To enrich, the uranium needs to have a significantly higher percentage of U-235. Enrichment is achieved by filtering gaseous uranium hexafluoride into a centrifuge where the U-238 and U-235 are spun around until the heavier U-238 collects on the outside and the lighter U-235 collects to the inside. The U-235 is then piped out into the next centrifuge, where the long process repeats and more U-235 is added until it is highly enriched, and weapons can be made. This process can repeat around 10-20 times to create 3-5% enriched uranium for civilian use.
Although Iran keeps preaching that they need these nuclear plants to enrich uranium for civilian use, their actions completely contradict their claims. Why do they have thousands of centrifuges pumping out 20-60% enriched uranium when 60% enriched uranium is only useful for enriching for nuclear weapons? The Institute for Science and International Security observed this dilemma in their analysis of the IAEA Iran verification and Monitoring Report in February of 2024, writing, “Despite the increase during this reporting period in the amount of uranium enriched between two and five percent, Iran has not prioritized stockpiling this material. For example, it has not made planned progress on the Enriched Uranium Powder Plant, a key civil facility to convert less than [five] percent enriched uranium hexafluoride into a uranium oxide powder for use in nuclear power reactor fuel.” Iran needs to produce significantly more 3-5% enriched uranium to reach their nuclear power goals, but their nuclear power currently accounts for 1% of their electricity production. “Instead, Iran has used this stock extensively to produce near 20 percent and 60 percent enriched uranium, far beyond Iran’s civilian needs,” the report contended.
Iran had a consistent rate of 5% U-235 production the last two reporting periods — around 9.3 kg/day; 278.1 kg/month. But the production of 60% enriched uranium over the last two periods has doubled from 2 kg/month to 4.5 kg/month. This allows for an annual production of 55.2 kg at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) alone, according to the IAEA analysis. “Iran has estimated that at FFEP from 26 October 2024 to 7 February 2025 117.9 kg of UF6 enriched up to 60% U-235 were produced” the IAEA disclosed. For reference, the Hiroshima atomic bomb was made from 64 kg of 80% enriched U-235; although, some atomic weapons can be made from as little as 5-10 kg of highly enriched uranium.
But who is to blame for these developments? The 2015 JCPOA agreement put multiple restrictions on Iran’s nuclear development, yet enforcement of these sanctions are loosely followed through. Some countries, such as the U.S., have tried adding military, economic, and political pressure to Iran, but Iran continues finding excuses to ignore outside warnings because of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and their false claim of “peaceful use” of enriched uranium. Even surveillance of the Iranian nuclear plants has decreased: “The IAEA reports no new progress on installing new surveillance cameras at Iran’s nuclear-related facilities, including centrifuge manufacturing and assembly sites.”
Iran has also said it will not turn over data or footage associated with monitoring devices unless the sanctions against them are removed, leaving the IAEA in a precarious position that falls to the whims of political turmoil beyond their control. The lack of surveillance in Iran’s nuclear power plants over recent years has cultivated doubt in the IAEA and abroad that the information being reported is accurate. Specifically, the IAEA fears Iran has relocated, or at least begun relocating, their advanced centrifuges and are stockpiling them in secret nuclear plants.
Why does it matter? Other countries have nuclear weapons, but should Iran? The 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty secured the five nuclear weapons states because of their pre-existing nuclear testing, differentiating them from the defined “non-nuclear weapons” states. Because of this treaty, which Iran signed in 1968, Iran is not allowed to manufacture nuclear weapons and is subject to punishment if they violate the treaty’s restrictions. The danger of allowing countries such as Iran to have nuclear weapons cannot be stressed enough.
Islamist nations such as Iran hate the United States for religious reasons. According to David Closson, director of the Center of Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, “The Quran … teaches that newborn children are born in a state of purity in which they are naturally inclined to belief in Allah.” Muslims firmly believe in the influence of parents in regards to religion, and therefore detest Christian and Jewish families who raise children to not believe in Allah. The Islamic religion also strongly rejects the Holy Trinity and views this Christian belief as a form of polytheism. The Quaran teaches that polytheism is a grave sin, to the extent that polytheism, or “Shirk” is considered the greatest sin and is “unforgiveable.” Islamist governments, including Iran, use this as leverage to oppress their people. They often blame turmoil in the Middle East on the United States, giving them an excuse to back terrorist groups, build nuclear weapons, and manipulate their citizens.
On his Fox News interview, Secretary Rubio remarked: “[O]ur problem is not with the Iranian people. … Our problem is with a clerical regime that is behind every problem in the region: Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the militias that have conducted attacks out of Iraq and Syria. … It’s a regime that every day and every Friday chants, ‘Death to Israel, death to America.’ We have to believe them when they say that.”
U.S. talks with the Iranian government are ongoing, but neither side seems prepared to back down. President Trump continues to advocate for complete eradication of Iran’s nuclear programs, beginning with a slow phasing-out of their enrichment programs, and forcing Iran to import enriched uranium from other countries. Isreal has even threatened their own military involvement, with or without the U.S., if talks fail. Iran claims they are unmovable on this issue and plan to submit their own nuclear proposal.
Nuclear deals with Iran cannot be understated. The purpose of treaties such as the NPT and JCPOA are to create a world where nuclear power is used for peace and prosperity, not for war. Countries like Iran are circumventing the established system, without punishment, to create and use nuclear weapons. Allowing countries like Iran — who mobilize their people to commit heinous crimes for their Islamist beliefs — to have nuclear weapons is dangerous, and we must uphold the agreements Iran has submitted to.
Caily Shriver serves as an intern at Family Research Council.
