How Much Uranium Does It Take To Make A Nuclear Bomb – And How Much Does Iran Still Have? | World News

New Delhi: The war between Iran and Israel has not ended the threat. It may have scattered it. After weeks of strikes on Tehran and its nuclear sites, the dust has not settled. It has only raised more questions, especially about uranium. What remains? What has gone missing? And how close is Iran now to building a bomb?

Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed the alarms many feared. In a televised interview, he warned that Iran could restart parts of its nuclear programme within months. Some facilities still stand. Some stockpiles remain hidden. Some disappearances remain unexplained.

One number keeps coming up – 400 kilograms.

That is the amount of enriched uranium that intelligence circles believe Iran still possesses. And it is enough to make more than one bomb or possibly many.

The Uranium Math

Uranium is not made equal. To build a nuclear weapon, the material must be enriched – refined into a more potent form known as weapons-grade uranium. For most designs, that means uranium enriched to 90% U-235.

A basic and small nuclear bomb – the kind with limited blast range – can require as little as 15 to 25 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. In older or simpler designs, the requirement goes up. Some may need 50 kilograms or more. But with modern systems, reflectors and neutron enhancers, the minimum amount drops significantly.

Iran’s estimated 400 kilograms could, in theory, create between 7 to 14 nuclear bombs.

Hiroshima to Hypotheticals

The devastation scale depends on the design. A small device might only destroy a few blocks. A medium-sized weapon, like the “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima, could flatten entire cities. That took about 64 kilograms of uranium. The death toll was in the hundreds of thousands.

Then come the thermonuclear giants. These are the megaton monsters designed to cause destruction across tens of kilometers. A single detonation could erase millions. While Iran is unlikely to have that capability now, the uranium stockpile keeps the option dangerously within reach if the enrichment process resumes.

What Now?

U.S. and Israeli strikes may have hit critical infrastructure. But some things went untouched or hidden. Intelligence reports suggest that key uranium reserves were either shielded or moved before the attacks.

The IAEA continues to demand access. Iran remains defiant. And the world watches, guessing what lies behind the closed doors of buried bunkers and mountain labs.

For now, the 400 kilograms exist as a number – silent, radioactive and waiting.