AZE.US
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have intensified following fresh warnings from U.S. officials about the pace of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said over the weekend that Iran is enriching uranium up to 60% purity – far above the levels needed for civilian nuclear energy. Weapons-grade uranium is generally defined as enriched to around 90%, but nonproliferation analysts note that once enrichment reaches 60%, much of the technical groundwork has already been completed.
Witkoff warned that Iran could be close to accumulating enough highly enriched uranium for at least one nuclear device, though U.S. officials have not said that Tehran has reached weapons-grade enrichment. International inspectors have previously reported that Iran has expanded its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, increasing concern among Western governments.
Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that uranium enrichment is its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected demands to dismantle enrichment activities, calling such conditions unacceptable.
The warning comes amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the region. Additional naval and air assets have been deployed toward the Persian Gulf in what officials describe as a deterrence posture. The Pentagon has not announced new combat operations but has emphasized readiness.
Diplomacy, however, remains on the table. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has signaled openness to continued talks, though he has stressed that ballistic missile capabilities are not part of current negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that any sustainable agreement would need to address both nuclear and missile concerns.
For global markets and regional security, the stakes are high. Escalation could affect energy flows through the Persian Gulf and heighten instability across the Middle East. At the same time, renewed negotiations could reopen space for a revised nuclear framework.
As enrichment levels rise and rhetoric sharpens, the central question is whether pressure will accelerate diplomacy — or push both sides closer to confrontation.