All posts tagged: uranium

Trump Vows U.S. Will Retrieve Uranium From Iran

Trump Vows U.S. Will Retrieve Uranium From Iran

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) – President ⁠Donald ⁠Trump vowed ⁠on Thursday that the United ​States will eventually recover Iran’s stockpile of ‌highly enriched uranium ‌despite comments from Iran ⁠that ⁠it will not hand over the material. “We will ​get it. We don’t need it, we don’t want it. We’ll probably ​destroy it after we get it, but ⁠we’re ⁠not going to ⁠let them ​have it,” Trump told reporters at the ​White House. Iran ⁠is believed to possess about 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, which Trump says was buried ⁠by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes nearly a year ⁠ago. Retrieving the uranium is part of Trump’s central objective of his war on Iran that Tehran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that ⁠the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources told Reuters.  (Reporting by Katharine ​Jackson and Steve Holland; editing ​by Michelle Nichols) Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters. Source link

Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Iranian sources say

Supreme Leader says enriched uranium must stay in Iran, Iranian sources say

Published by Sam Flores

DUBAI: Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued a directive that the country’s near-weapons-grade uranium should not be sent abroad, two senior Iranian sources said, hardening Tehran’s stance on one of the main United States demands at peace talks. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s order could further frustrate US President Donald Trump and complicate talks on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran. Israeli officials have told Reuters that Trump has assured Israel that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, needed to make an atomic weapon, will be sent out of Iran and that any peace deal must include a clause on this. Israel, the US and other Western states have long accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, including pointing to its move to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, far higher than needed for civilian uses and closer to the 90 per cent needed for a weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not consider the war over until enriched uranium is removed from Iran, Tehran ends its support for proxy …

Uranium Gap Worsens: Nuclear News Roundup

Uranium Gap Worsens: Nuclear News Roundup

Published by Jenni Sidey

Goldman analyst Brian Lee reviews headlines across the nuclear industry for March (full note here).   New reactor progress and announcements North America 4/16/2026 – Canada: Bruce Power has signed an MoU with SaskPower to share its experience in large-scale nuclear reactors, including project development and long-term operations, as Saskatchewan evaluates large reactor technologies alongside its SMR program. The agreement formalizes information-sharing and aligns provincial and federal nuclear strategies. 4/24/2026 – United States: Duke Energy’s Robinson nuclear power plant has been cleared for extended operation to 80 years, after the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its fastest-ever subsequent license renewal review. The approval allows the 759 MW Robinson Unit 2 in South Carolina to operate until 2050, under new accelerated federal timelines. 4/29/2026 – United States: The US NRC has approved subsequent license renewals for St Lucie Units 1 and 2, clearing the Florida Power & Light plant to operate for up to 80 years, with Unit 1 licensed to 2056 and Unit 2 to 2063. The decision follows ageing-management reviews for the extended operating …

DOE’s NNSA Removes Enriched Uranium From Venezuela And Japan

DOE’s NNSA Removes Enriched Uranium From Venezuela And Japan

Published by Jenni Sidey

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has coordinated with Japan and Venezuela to remove enriched uranium from both countries.  The U.S. has secured its largest-ever HALEU fuel shipment, working in partnership with Japan. This significant transfer advances President Trump’s strategy to restore America’s energy dominance and power next-generation nuclear reactors. https://t.co/h5Oc6f5kRq pic.twitter.com/EG7kA9Eopg — NNSA (@NNSANews) May 7, 2026 The NNSA coordinated with Japanese government and nuclear agencies to transfer 1.7 metric tons of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from Japan to the US. The material comes from excess supplies at the recently shut-down test reactor in Japan.  Japan has not completely ceased research into new reactor technology, and instead will focus on the Joyo research reactor. There is a long-standing coordination between the US and Japan to offload excess quantities of enriched uranium due to proliferation concerns. Typical commercial reactors run on low-enriched uranium (LEU) which is typically enriched to 3-5%. The percentage of enrichment indicates how much of the fuel is actually usable for fission; the amount of U-235 isotopes present in …

Trump: Iran has agreed to hand over its uranium

Trump: Iran has agreed to hand over its uranium

Published by Sam Flores

Iran has agreed to hand over its stockpile of enriched uranium, Donald Trump has claimed, saying the US is “close” to a peace deal to end the war. “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Mr Trump told reporters outside the White House, referring to the estimated 450kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent. Iran has not responded to Mr Trump’s claims. What happens to the uranium stockpile has been the central sticking point in negotiations since talks collapsed in Islamabad last week. Tehran offered to halt any further enrichment for five years, while the US insisted on a 20-year freeze. Iranian scientists had enriched uranium to near weapons-grade before the war. “We’re going to see what happens. But I think we’re very close to making a deal with Iran,” Mr Trump said, adding that another round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend. He said that if an agreement was reached in Islamabad, he might travel to Pakistan for the signing. Tehran had offered to halt any further enrichment …

What Tunnel Entrances Reveal About a Key Iranian Nuclear Site

What Tunnel Entrances Reveal About a Key Iranian Nuclear Site

Published by Sam Flores

new video loaded: What Tunnel Entrances Reveal About a Key Iranian Nuclear Site transcript Back transcript What Tunnel Entrances Reveal About a Key Iranian Nuclear Site Satellite images show how Iran has tried to bolster its defenses at parts of the Isfahan nuclear facility. What you’re seeing here are buried tunnel entrances at a nuclear facility in Iran. It’s one of the most important sites in the country for U.S. and Israeli forces. U.N. inspectors think that roughly half of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is buried here. And these three entrances are the only known ways to access it. If you think about nuclear sites in Iran, three main sites come to mind. They’re pretty well known: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Natanz and Fordo, They were largely taken out in U.S. strikes last year. So I’ve been focusing on Isfahan. The uranium here is still relatively accessible. It’s actually a pretty large complex. This area here was very important for uranium processing, but it was heavily hit by the U.S. and Israel last June. If …

Netanyahu says Iran no longer has uranium enrichment capacity

Netanyahu says Iran no longer has uranium enrichment capacity

Published by Sam Flores

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 19, 2026. Ronen Zvulun | Reuters Iran no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of ⁠U.S.-Israeli air attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news conference ​on Thursday. “We are ​winning, and ​Iran is being decimated,” Netanyahu said, noting that Iran’s missile and drone arsenal is being massively degraded and will be destroyed. “What ⁠we’re ‌destroying now are the factories that ⁠produce the components to make these missiles and to make the nuclear weapons that they’re trying to produce,” Netanyahu said. Netanyahu did not provide evidence ‌for his claim that Iran no longer had the capacity to enrich uranium. Iran’s nuclear program was the ​focus of mediated talks that ultimately collapsed with the U.S. and Israel launching an air attack on Iran on February 28. Iran has fired missiles ⁠back at Israel and other Gulf countries while also limiting tankers from using ‌the Straight of Hormuz. Despite …