Nuclear program of Iran

The <a href="/facts/Nuclear_technology/lQvzhH3g">nuclear</a> program of <a href="/facts/Iran/24yukge8">Iran</a> is one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs in the world. Although the Iranian government maintains that the purpose of it is for civilian and peaceful uses, some have claimed that they are covertly developing <a href="/facts/Nuclear_weapons/QVdBcMdm">nuclear weapons</a>, with <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a> being the fiercest proponent of this claim. This is a current point of contention in <a href="/facts/Iran-Israel_relations/EpK6cP8A">Iran-Israel relations</a>, with an <a href="/facts/Iran-Israel_war/cqFcawYL">armed conflict</a> currently being waged between the countries over the program.
Iran's nuclear program began in the 1950s under the <a href="/facts/Pahlavi_Iran/WqU7j2W8">Pahlavi dynasty</a> with <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">U.S.</a> support. It expanded in the 1970s with plans for power reactors, paused after the 1979 <a href="/facts/Iranian_Revolution/frTYhJ0F">Iranian Revolution</a>, and resumed secretly during the 1980s <a href="/facts/Iran%25E2%2580%2593Iraq_War/DqD7W8vd">Iran–Iraq War</a>. In the 1990s, Iran pursued a full <a href="/facts/Nuclear_fuel_cycle/flBannfd">nuclear fuel cycle</a> and acquired centrifuge technology through illicit networks, including ties with <a href="/facts/Pakistan/cbIsvJy1">Pakistan</a> and <a href="/facts/North_Korea/Q41laakP">North Korea</a>. Undeclared enrichment sites at Natanz and Arak were exposed in 2002, and <a href="/facts/Fordow_Fuel_Enrichment_Plant/PSpoyK0B">Fordow</a>, 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 <a href="/facts/AMAD_Project/PPKA0RPe">formal nuclear weapons program</a>, and claims its program is for peaceful purposes only, yet analysts and the IAEA have refuted such claims. Iran is currently enriching uranium to 60% purity (close to <a href="/facts/Weapons-grade_nuclear_material/o2S0c30F">weapons-grade</a>), and has been 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 <a href="/facts/Destruction_of_Israel_in_Iranian_policy/KueYHRvo">destruction of Israel</a> is frequently cited as one of several strategic objectives behind Iran's nuclear ambitions. Concerns include <a href="/facts/Nuclear_proliferation/f8dSJyAR">nuclear proliferation</a>, <a href="/facts/Nuclear_terrorism/b1PUoPdB">nuclear terrorism</a>, and increased <a href="/facts/Iran_and_state-sponsored_terrorism/I1EPxjtm">support for terrorism and insurgency</a>.

In response to Iran's nuclear program, the international community <a href="/facts/International_sanctions_against_Iran/XV81s5Pc">imposed sanctions</a> that severely impacted its economy, restricting its oil exports and limiting access to global financial systems. Covert operations such as the <a href="/facts/Stuxnet/xa7gvYYF">Stuxnet</a> cyberattack in 2010 sought to disrupt the program. In 2015, the <a href="/facts/Joint_Comprehensive_Plan_of_Action/ee9rq1qH">Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action</a> (JCPOA) was signed, imposing strict limitations on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. In 2018, the <a href="/facts/United_States_withdrawal_from_the_Joint_Comprehensive_Plan_of_Action/Aj2ABSVf">United States withdrew from the agreement</a>, 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. According to the IAEA, Iran is "the only non-nuclear-weapon state to produce such material". The US and Iran have engaged in <a href="/facts/2025_United_States%25E2%2580%2593Iran_negotiations/8dtwX5jP">bilateral negotiations</a> since April 2025, aiming to curb Iran's program for sanctions relief, though Iran's leaders have refused to stop enriching uranium. In October 2023, an IAEA report estimated Iran had increased its uranium stockpile 22 times over the 2015 agreed JCPOA limit. In the last months of the Biden administration, new intelligence persuaded US officials that Iran was exploring a <a href="/facts/Gun-type_fission_weapon/e5g6L4gL">cruder design</a> that could enable Iran to manufacture a nuclear weapon, undeliverable by missile, in a matter of months. On 12 June 2025, the <a href="/facts/International_Atomic_Energy_Agency/o84JrwQ7">International Atomic Energy Agency</a> (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 <a href="/facts/Zippe-type_centrifuge/8T4ajERY">advanced centrifuges</a>. One day later, Israel <a href="/facts/June_2025_Israeli_strikes_on_Iran/aaysJ0vm">launched coordinated strikes across Iran</a>, targeting nuclear facilities and damaging Natanz and other sites.

Nuclear program of Iran open-in-new

Nuclear program of Iran