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Iran is “frighteningly close” to producing weapons-grade uranium and could reach that threshold within weeks, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned lawmakers on Wednesday, underscoring mounting concerns over Tehran’s nuclear programme amid a fragile regional ceasefire.
Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Wright said Iran’s current uranium enrichment levels place it dangerously near weapons-grade capability, although additional weaponisation steps would still be required to build a nuclear weapon.
“They are a small number of weeks away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium. There’s still a weaponization process that happens after that, but they’re quite close,” Wright told lawmakers.
According to reports shared by Clash Report and financial commentator Walter Bloomberg on X, Wright said Iran has already enriched uranium to 60%, significantly above civilian energy requirements and technically much closer to the 90% purity generally considered weapons-grade.
“When you’re at 60%, you are, although the numbers don’t sound that way, way closer to 90% of the way there for the enrichment necessary for weapons-grade uranium,” he said, calling the situation “very concerning.”
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The remarks come as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent renewed conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States following months of escalating military tensions.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump described the current ceasefire as being on “massive life support” after rejecting Tehran’s latest counterproposal aimed at ending the conflict.
Trump reportedly dismissed Iran’s response document as a “piece of garbage” but maintained that Tehran would eventually be forced to halt uranium enrichment and transfer its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States.
The renewed warnings come despite Trump’s earlier claims that US and Israeli strikes during last year’s 12-day conflict had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, uncertainty remains over the fate of nearly 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, which Western intelligence agencies believe remains central to Iran’s nuclear capability.
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Iran, meanwhile, has signalled it could escalate further if attacked again.
“One of Iran’s options in the event of another attack could be 90 percent enrichment. We will review it in the parliament,” Iranian parliamentary spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on X.
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful civilian purposes. Western powers and Israel, however, continue to accuse Tehran of seeking the capability to develop atomic weapons.
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