Is Iran a week away from producing bomb-grade uranium? Rising tensions in Tehran are once again worrying Uncle Sam, with President Donald Trump’s envoy to the region Steve Witkoff expressing concern about rising tensions between the Trump administration and Ayatollah Khamenei’s establishment. He also pointed to domestic pressure on Tehran, referring to renewed protests in the Middle Eastern country.The Donald Trump administration remains concerned about Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Iran, which carried out the harsh Operation Midnight Hammer in the summer of 2025, bombing multiple nuclear facilities in the Islamic Republic.Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, said in an interview with Fox News that Iran could theoretically enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels in just a week. However, he did not mention that Iran currently cannot obtain the necessary materials, lacks the equipment required for enrichment, and does not have an existing weapons program to put these materials into practical use.
“Probably another week”
“It’s probably going to be another week before they have industrial-grade bomb-making material. That’s really dangerous. So they can’t have that material,” Witkov said, underscoring the seriousness of Iran’s potential to rebuild and collect all other parts of the nuclear program that was blown up in June 2025.In June 2025, Israel and the United States carried out a coordinated strike that allegedly destroyed Iran’s fleet of approximately 20,000 nuclear centrifuges, destroyed its multifaceted weaponization program, and severely damaged three of its main nuclear facilities as well as dozens of smaller facilities. The attacks also reportedly killed several top nuclear scientists and collapsed some key facilities, making it difficult for the Islamic Republic to access its existing stockpile of enriched uranium.
June 2025 attacks and narrowing nuclear window
Before the June 2025 attack, Iran was believed to be ready to weaponize its uranium in about a week if it chose. It is estimated that it will take Tehran another three to six months to integrate the materials into missile systems and assemble the necessary components for a nuclear weapon.The window is considered extremely narrow, shrinking rapidly compared with previous estimates of two years, raising concerns among Israeli intelligence that if the operation is delayed, it may not be able to detect the precise moment Iran crosses the nuclear threshold.
U.S. and Israel assess Iran’s nuclear timetable
The United States and its close ally Israel now believe Tehran is at least two years away from becoming a potential nuclear power, a factor that continues to trouble Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Tel Aviv and Washington, where President Trump has expressed determination to curb the nuclear ambitions of Khamenei’s rule.
Focus on uranium enrichment and U.S. red lines
However, Witkov seemed to emphasize that Iran had been very close to producing weapons-grade uranium before. He said that was why the Trump administration did not want Iran to be allowed to enrich uranium in the future, as Washington proposed a broader package at a time of heightened tensions with Tehran.Witkoff said in the interview that Trump was not entirely disturbed by Iran’s refusal to reach a deal, but more “curious.”“I don’t want to use the word frustrated,” he said, offering a rare glimpse into Trump’s decision-making process on the issue.“It was strange. He was curious as to why they didn’t surrender … under this kind of pressure, with the amount of maritime power we had.”Witkov reiterated Trump’s earlier demand that Iran should have “zero enrichment” under a future deal. “Some very strong red lines have been drawn,” he said. However, there are reports that Trump is considering an Iranian proposal that would allow limited or “token” uranium enrichment.The Trump administration is likely to accept a limited compromise as long as it can prove that any uranium enrichment activities are strictly for civilian purposes and cannot be a step toward developing nuclear weapons, the report said.
Domestic Pressure in Iran and Pahlavi Factors
Witkoff also noted that growing pressure within Iran was an important factor in U.S. decision-making. Protests returned to the streets on Saturday, with students from several universities across the country demonstrating against the Islamist regime.Discussing the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and his possible role in Iran’s future, Witkov said Pahlavi “cares about his country,” but added that the country’s future will ultimately depend on “President Trump’s policies, not Pahlavi’s policies,” noting that Trump is “interested in hearing everyone’s opinion.”
