Uranium enrichment rates in Iran: from 3.67 percent to 60 percent ... What do the numbers mean?
On Friday, June 13, Israel announced that it had attacked nuclear and military facilities in Iran, with the aim of hitting its military and nuclear programs to ignite a confrontation between the two countries.
These attacks came after the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a decision against Iran to "not fulfill" its obligations within the joint action plan (known as the nuclear agreement), including uranium enrichment by a rate that exceeds the ceiling specified at 67.3 percent.
The issue of uranium enrichment was turned into the axis of the dispute between Iran and the United States during the nuclear talks, a continuous dispute despite five rounds of indirect talks.
The fertilization restrictions have been one of the most prominent points of disagreement in negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program over the past two decades.
What do we know about uranium enrichment? And why became a major point of disagreement? And why is Iran's enrichment of uranium by 60 percent of the United States and the International Atomic Energy Agency?
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What is uranium and what is its source?
Uranium is a heavy natural element found in rocks, soil and even in sea water. Despite its wide spread in the Earth's crust, it is not extracted with high concentrations except in some areas.
Among its most prominent producers are: Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia, and a number of African countries. Iran also has uranium reserves and extracts it from local mines.
But uranium in its normal state is not effectively used in energy or weapons production, because more than 99 percent of it is uranium-238, non-fission. As for the rare counterpart and hydrocarbon, it is uranium-235, which constitutes only 0.7 percent of natural uranium, which is able to generate energy through nuclear fission.
Uranium-235 fission launchs large energy.
This energy is used in nuclear reactors to generate electricity, while in the nuclear bomb, this reaction occurs quickly and without control, which leads to a huge explosion.
What is fertilization and what are its common levels?
Whether it comes to civil or military purposes, uranium must be treated to increase the percentage of uranium-235 in it, a process known as "fertilization".
Future is performed using gas centrifugal devices that rotate very quickly that separate the lighter analogy (uranium-235) and the heavier counterpart (uranium-238).
Uranium fertilization levels are classified as follows:
Natural uranium: It contains 0.7% of uranium-235, and it cannot be used directly in energy or weapons.
Low fertilization uranium (up to 5%): used in most nuclear power plants. 3.67% was the maximum of Iran according to the 2015 agreement
Average uranium fertilization (about 20%): It is used in research reactors to produce medical isotopes and some industrial applications, and is a technical step towards high fertilization.
High fertilization uranium (above 60%): It is close to the level of enrichment for the arms industry. Iran currently has a stock of it, which raises West concern and the International Atomic Energy Agency, because it is considered a technical prelude to making a nuclear weapon.
Euranium is 90% fertilized or more: used to make nuclear weapons. The agency considers that owning 25 kilograms of this type is sufficient to make a simple nuclear bomb.
The more enrichment of uranium, the more short and more dangerous weapons.
Where came from the level of uranium enrichment by 3.67% and what is its benefit?
The level of uranium enrichment was determined by 3.67% in the agreement between Iran and global powers in 2015. This number was reached as a result of political and technical understanding aimed at achieving a balance between Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to ensure the international community by not having a nuclear weapon.
Technically, enriched uranium is 3.67% suitable for use in civil nuclear energy reactors, as it is used to produce a sequential nuclear reaction that is controlled to generate electricity.
This percentage was determined with the aim of prolonging the "nuclear penetration time" (that is, the time Iran may need to produce enough uranium to make a nuclear bomb), to reach about a year, giving the international community an opportunity to intervene diplomatic or technical in the event of a violation of the agreement.
What is the enriched uranium for weapons, and why is Iran's inventory of uranium 60 percent, a source of concern?
Using uranium is a 90% fertilized analogy of uranium-235.
This substance is used to manufacture nuclear weapons, because this level of fertilization allows a rapid and uncontrolled serial interaction that leads to a nuclear explosion.
But reaching this level does not take place at once, but rather passes through gradual stages. Technically, the higher the rate of fertilization, the next and easier step becomes. That is why Iran's possession of a 60% in stock of uranium is a great concern, not only because it is technically close to the level of enrichment used in weapons, but also because it is almost useless in peaceful and civil uses.
There are no well -known capacity or civil scientific projects that require uranium fertilized in this percentage.
Thus, the presence of such a stock raises questions about the real purpose of its production. Among the most prominent concerns is that Iran, by having a sufficient amount of enriched uranium by 60%, can reduce the "nuclear penetration time" (that is, the time required to produce a nuclear weapon) to only a few weeks, if it decides to take the political decision to do so.
Tehran always stresses that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.
What is the "penetration time" and what are the estimates of Iran?
The term "penetration time" indicates the time a country needs to fertilize uranium to a level that allows a nuclear bomb, starting from the moment of decision -making. This time does not include the manufacture of the bomb or its connection, but is limited to the production of the necessary fissile materials.
Upon starting the implementation of the nuclear agreement in 2015, the hack time was estimated for almost a year. However, with 60%of uranium quantities, this time has decreased significantly.
According to a recent evaluation issued by the "Institute of Science and International Security" on June 9, 2025, Iran can produce the first 25 kilograms of the extracted uranium used in weapons within only two to three days at the Fordo facility. It is estimated that Iran is able to produce 233 kilograms of highly fertilized uranium within three weeks, which is enough to make nine nuclear bombs.
And if Iran is enriching in the Fordo and Natanz facilities together, it may produce enough to make 11 weapons in the first month, 15 by the end of the second month, and more than 20 bombs within five months.
This analysis does not include the time to convert materials into an actual weapon, which is estimated by experts by a few months to a year as soon as the fissile material is available.
What are the latest developments on Iran's uranium stocks, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency report?
The International Atomic Energy Agency report, issued in May 2025, stated that Iran's stock of fractured uranium has reached unprecedented levels.
According to the report, Iran's total uranium stock, at all levels of fertilization and chemical shapes, reached 9247.6 kg (in terms of uranium block) until May 17, an increase of 953.2 kg compared to the previous report.
But the most disturbing part for the West and the International Atomic Energy Agency, relates to enriched uranium by 60%, just less than the level required to make weapons. Iran currently has 408.6 kilograms of this type of uranium.
The report indicated that Iran continues to quickly convert the extracted uranium by 20%into a 60%uranium, a step that is not only limited to reducing its stock of enriched uranium by 20%, but also reflects the technical readiness of uranium enrichment to levels that qualify it to make weapons during a shorter period of time.
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