How to move 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium out of Iran
4/21/20266 min
The U.S. estimates that Iran possesses nearly 1,000 pounds of highly-enriched uranium.
It’s not quite enriched to weapons-grade, but it’s not far off.
As part of its attempt to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, the U.S. is attempting to negotiate with Iran to give up this cache.
How would that even work?
We hear from Scott Roecker, vice president of the Nuclear Materials Security Program at the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
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This episode was produced by Kai McNamee and Karen Zamora. It was edited by Patrick Jarenwattananon. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsScott Detrow· Host0:00
Here is one big question that the United States and Iran are trying to negotiate: what happens to the uranium? Iran's cache of highly enriched uranium would be the key ingredient in developing a potential nuclear weapon.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:12
The USA will get all nuclear dust. You know what the nuclear dust is?
Scott Detrow· Host0:16
President Trump has been referring to this material as nuclear dust. Last Friday, the president talked about the issue at a Turning Point USA event in Arizona.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:25
And somebody said, "How are we gonna get the nuclear dust?" We're gonna get it by going in with Iran, with lots of excavators, because they need to- Trump has consistently said that one of the main objectives of this war is to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon.
Scott Detrow· Host0:40
Though, in a social media post on Monday, President Trump wrote that obtaining this uranium would be a, quote, "Long and difficult process." Consider this, how would the United States remove highly enriched uranium from Iran? [gentle music] From NPR, I'm Scott Detrow.
Speaker 21:00
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Scott Detrow· Host1:14
[upbeat music] It's Consider This from NPR. The US estimates Iran possesses nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium. It's not