Iran is "dangerously close" to developing nuclear weapons, says the U.S. Secretary of Energy

Iran is at an extremely dangerous stage in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

This was stated by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, CNN reports.

According to the official, Iran has “only a few weeks” left to reach a level of uranium enrichment suitable for military use.

“After that, the process of converting it into a weapon still has to take place, but they are already quite close to creating a nuclear weapon,” Wright emphasized.

He clarified that a uranium enrichment level of about 90% is considered suitable for creating nuclear weapons.

During the hearings, discussions also focused on Iran’s uranium stockpiles, which, according to U.S. officials, are currently at Iran’s disposal. In response to a question from Senator Richard Blumenthal, Wright stated that about 11 tons of uranium are enriched to 60%, and significant amounts are enriched to 20%, which he called “a very alarming sign.”

“Iran has a lot of uranium enriched to 20%,” the secretary noted.

Separately, he commented on possible U.S. actions regarding Iran’s nuclear program, stating that halting it is a key objective.

“I think this is a wise strategy. Ultimately, the goal is also to prevent future uranium enrichment. Therefore, to have a safe world, we need to put an end to their nuclear program,” Wright said.

According to CNN, representatives of President Donald Trump’s administration view Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium as one of the factors influencing the assessment of security risks. Trump has also stated the need for Iran to control or transfer its enriched uranium as part of potential negotiations to resolve the situation.