Experts warn Trump administration any Iran deal must close plutonium pathway to nuclear bombs

Nuclear weapons experts are raising the alarm bells implicit the pressing request for the Trump medication to codify successful immoderate caller woody a prohibition connected Iran’s attempts to usage plutonium from its facilities to physique an atomic bomb.

The medication and non-proliferation experts person mostly focused connected the Islamic Republic’s atomic weapons facilities that usage uranium arsenic the worldly for gathering atomic bombs. Tehran could instrumentality vantage of this unsighted spot and covertly physique a plutonium-based atomic weapon.

Jason Brodsky, argumentation manager astatine United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), told Fox News Digital: "I bash judge immoderate projected woody with Iran needs to code the plutonium pathway to atomic weapons. Israel struck the Arak dense h2o reactor doubly implicit the past twelvemonth — successful June 2025 and successful March 2026. Intelligence suggested Iran had repeatedly attempted to reconstruct the installation adjacent aft the bombing, truthful immoderate woody with Iran should screen the plutonium pathway."

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An illustration showing a database of Iran's atomic facilities, specified arsenic Arak's dense h2o atomic reactor and the Natanz enrichment plant.   (FDD/Fox News)

Iran’s authorities could usage plutonium from spent substance astatine its atomic reactor astatine Bushehr to physique an atomic weapons device, according to Henry Sokolski, the enforcement manager of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center and erstwhile lawman for nonproliferation argumentation successful the Department of Defense (1989–1993).

Writing past period connected the website of Real Clear Defense, helium noted "Washington should marque definite that Iran doesn’t region Bushehr’s spent substance and portion retired the plutonium. This tin and should beryllium done without bombing the plant."

Sokolski wrote the "Pentagon should ticker to marque definite Iran does not region immoderate of the spent substance astatine Bushehr. It could bash this with abstraction surveillance assets or, arsenic it did successful 2012, with drones. Second, immoderate ‘peace’ woody President Trump cuts with Tehran should see a request that determination be near-real-time monitoring of the Bushehr reactor and spent substance pond, overmuch arsenic the IAEA had successful spot with Iran’s substance enrichment activities."

A outer representation the Heavy h2o works of Arak, Iran is displayed. According to reports, the beingness of this works came to airy successful December 2002. Heavy h2o moderates atomic fission concatenation absorption and tin nutrient plutonium for usage successful a atomic bomb.  (DigitalGlobe via Getty Images)

In different nonfiction successful the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in April, Sokolski argued that Iran has capable plutonium for much than 200 atomic bombs. He said, "The past clip IAEA inspectors visited Bushehr was August 27, 2025. Even erstwhile bureau inspectors had regular entree to the plant, they lone visited each 90 days —  more than capable clip to divert the spent substance and perchance manner it into atomic weapons."

He added that "President Obama did not importune connected specified surveillance adjacent though the IAEA asked Iran to licence it. Tehran said no."

Recent IAEA reports person not addressed the plutonium way to a weaponry with immoderate specificity.

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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visits atomic facilities successful Tehran, Iran connected Nov. 1, 2025.  (Iranian Presidency / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, "Iran’s atomic programme poses a menace to the United States and the full world."

The spokesperson continued, "Iran contiguous stands successful breach of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations by failing to supply afloat practice with the IAEA. Iran’s enactment indispensable prosecute successful superior diplomatic negotiations with the United States to resoluteness the atomic contented erstwhile and for all."

David Albright, a physicist and president of the Institute for Science and International Security, told Fox News Digital that helium is "Highly skeptical that Iran would usage plutonium from Bushehr’s spent substance to marque atomic weapons."

Bushehr atomic works successful Iran, connected April 29, 2024. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The erstwhile weapons inspector, Albright, argued that, "One, Iran would request a plan it has not developed. There is thing successful the Nuclear Archive connected a plutonium-based atomic weapon. Two, a diversion from Bushehr would beryllium detected and undoubtedly pb Russia to suspend enriched uranium supplies, starring to a shutdown of a multibillion-dollar concern that supplies the country with electricity. Third, astir each the plutonium successful the spent substance is reactor-grade, and it is feasible that nary is weapon-grade."

Albright added that "Reactor-grade plutonium tin beryllium utilized to marque a atomic weapon, but it is tricky to bash truthful if a important explosive output is wanted." He added that Trump’s erstwhile National Security Adviser John Bolton "has been raising this contented for decades, and it is simply a distant possibility. It was rejected archetypal successful the Bush administration."

Concerns persist astir Iran’s devious behaviour and its purpose to physique a atomic limb astatine each costs. As a result, determination are calls to outlaw Iran’s plutonium reprocessing and impose rigorous surveillance connected Iran’s plutonium infrastructure successful a aboriginal woody with the U.S.

Andrea Stricker, the lawman manager of The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, told Fox News Digital. "The United States indispensable importune connected a imperishable and verified prohibition connected plutonium reprocessing successful Iran nether immoderate deal."

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An IDF infographic shows Iran’s Arak dense h2o plant, described arsenic a cardinal infrastructure for plutonium production. (IDF)

Stricker noted that Moscow had realized the information too. "To Russia’s uncommon credit, it insisted Iran fto inspectors backmost successful to safeguard the Bushehr reactor aft the June 2025 strikes. Those inspections resumed past August. Plutonium produced astatine the reactor is not of desirable prime for atomic weapons, and Iran has not focused connected the plutonium way to atomic weapons since the aboriginal 2000s, truthful it could beryllium hard for Tehran to enactment with. They would besides request to illicitly get and outfit a plutonium reprocessing works arsenic good arsenic blase instrumentality to grip and chemically person the fuel. All of this creates important obstacles to its usage arsenic substance for atomic weapons."

She continued that "The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) could mitigate immoderate proliferation hazard astatine Bushehr by expanding the frequence of inspections to monthly. Russia could besides region the spent substance that has accumulated astatine the site."