Nuclear expert Albright: Iran deal must remove all 10 tons of enriched uranium, not just highly enriched stockpile

Any nuclear deal with Iran must require the removal of all of its enriched uranium – not only its highly enriched stockpile, says David Albright, a former UN nuclear inspector who runs the Institute for Science and International Security, in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12.

Amid intensified US efforts to reach a nuclear deal with Tehran, Albright stresses that “the goal should be to get all 10 tons of enriched uranium out of Iran,” warning that “if any significant part of [Iran’s enriched uranium] stockpile remains, then that’s a bad deal. There’s no doubt about it,” as this would leave Iran capable of developing a nuclear weapon.

Albright stresses that this includes not only the roughly 440 kilograms of near weapons-grade uranium enriched to 60% purity and buried in Isfahan, but Iran’s entire enriched uranium stockpile, ranging from 2% to 60% enrichment.

If the full stockpile were removed, “given the destruction of [Iran’s] centrifuge program” in previous US and Israeli strikes, “we would really have years before we’d have to think about Iran enriching significant amounts of weapon-grade uranium,” Albright says.

The US is reportedly seeking a deal that would remove Iran’s highly enriched uranium and place a moratorium on all uranium enrichment for at least 12 years, but would eventually permit limited enrichment and would not see the removal of the full stockpile.

The June 2025 war with Iran and the current war “have changed the situation dramatically,” Albright adds. Satellite imagery shows that Israel “significantly” degraded Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons through past strikes, he says, noting that “you can’t eliminate it a hundred percent.”

“What you’re trying to do is lengthen the time and reduce the chance of success…If the goal is to eliminate a nuclear program to where it can never be reconstituted or rebuilt, I think that’s not a realistic goal.”