It’s not Russia, it’s not North Korea: this is the most closely watched nuclear program on the planet
Russia and North Korea are perhaps seen as the biggest nuclear threats to peace, but one country stands above them.
While dramatic shots of Russian and North Korean missiles regularly make the front pages of news publications, books, and other media, those countries are arguably not at the top of the list when it comes to concerns over nuclear development. That title arguably belongs to the Middle Eastern nation of Iran, which has reportedly been stockpiling uranium despite previously agreed-upon limitations.
Furthermore, there are concerns that the level of vigilance surrounding Iran’s apparent activities is insufficient.
Rafael Grossi, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief, said on Wednesday that “we are not inspecting at the levels or at the places that we believe we should be inspecting. We have not been having the full cooperation of Iran in clarifying a few important things about the past and perhaps the present activities.”
Officials believe Iran’s nuclear program decades old
Grossi added that Iran has managed to accumulate around 200 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% purity—close to the roughly 90% needed for weapons-grade material.
On Thursday, Iran said it had built and was in the process of activating a third nuclear enrichment facility, according to a report from the AP, which adds that “Western officials suspect the uranium traces could provide further evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003.”
While the agency does not have direct evidence that Iran is currently building a nuclear weapon, it is clear that Tehran is not fully cooperating with the IAEA.
Talks to address Iran’s nuclear program were planned for Sunday. Instead Netanyahu launched illegal strikes on Iran, killing a top ceasefire negotiator, undermining U.S. diplomatic efforts & putting countless innocent lives at risk. We can’t be dragged into another Netanyahu war.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 13, 2025
In recent days, Israel launched attacks on Iran, killing top military generals. While Benjamin Netanyahu has tried to portray the attacks as responses to an existential threat posed by Iran, it’s difficult to see who is buying that narrative. In response, Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel late on Friday night.
While Iran’s long-term response remains unclear, the ongoing conflict does little to inspire hope that the Middle Eastern nation will engage in meaningful talks with the United States or halt its nuclear development program. A sixth round of Iran–U.S. talks is scheduled to begin Sunday in Oman.
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