New Delhi: Uranium enrichment will not be uncommon. Argentina does it. Brazil too. So does Japan. Even the Netherlands. All of them refine uranium for peaceable causes, primarily for vitality. No drama. No threats. No sanctions.
Then there may be Iran. Identical course of. Identical science. However a world firestorm. Warnings from Washington. Airstrikes from Israel. Sanctions. Suspicion. Why?
Let’s break it down.
Identical Course of, Totally different Notion
Enrichment means growing the focus of Uranium-235. Pure uranium holds simply 0.7% of it. Energy reactors want round 3-5%. Nuclear bombs want greater than 90%.
International locations like Argentina and Japan maintain enrichment underneath 5%. No surprises. No secrets and techniques. All the time underneath the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA) watch.
Iran didn’t cease at 5%. It went to 60%. That’s far above vitality wants. Only a step away from weapons-grade materials. The United Nations’ nuclear vitality watchdog, IAEA, has flagged it repeatedly. It says Iran holds greater than 400 kg of 60% enriched uranium that’s sufficient for making 10 nuclear bombs.
‘Secrecy’ Fuels Suspicion
Iran’s nuclear journey has allegedly not been clear. In 2009, a hidden facility at Fordow was revealed, not by Tehran however by Western intelligence. Earlier than that, the AMAD venture (an Iranian scientific venture with the intention of creating nuclear weapons) quietly explored weaponisation till 2003.
And now, IAEA inspectors are routinely denied entry. In 2025, for the primary time in 20 years, the IAEA formally declared Iran in breach of its obligations.
Examine that with Brazil, the Netherlands or Japan. Their programmes keep open and cooperative. No secret bunkers. No hidden centrifuges.
The Regional Firetrap
Iran sits in a unstable neighbourhood – Israel, Saudi Arabia and U.S. bases within the Gulf nations. Tensions all the time close to the floor.
Iranian leaders have issued fiery statements in opposition to Israel. Some known as for its destruction. That modifications how the world views Tehran’s nuclear work.
Israel doesn’t take possibilities. It launched airstrikes in 2025 on Iranian nuclear websites – Natanz, Fordow and extra. America supported it. The message was loud and clear – Iran’s nuclear rise won’t be tolerated.
Not one of the different uranium-enriching nations face such hostility from their neighbours. No threats. No assaults. No regional warfare threat.
Know-how By ‘Backdoor’
Iran allegedly didn’t all the time develop its nuclear tech legally. It reportedly tapped into the A.Q. Khan community from Pakistan and purchased components from shady distributors in Europe. That purported historical past nonetheless haunts it.
Different nations constructed their techniques by way of public and internationally accepted channels. No smuggling, no cover-ups.
JCPOA Gamble, Its Collapse
In 2015, Iran signed the Joint Complete Plan of Motion (JCPOA) with six international powers. It agreed to restrict enrichment, cut back stockpiles and permit inspections. In return, it obtained sanctions reduction.
Then in 2018, President Donald Trump pulled the US out. Sanctions returned. Iran responded by allegedly ramping up enrichment once more. By 2025, its uranium stockpile was reportedly 22 instances increased than JCPOA limits.
The settlement collapsed. The belief shattered.
Image of Sovereignty or Defiance?
For Iran, its nuclear programme is a matter of nationwide satisfaction. A stand in opposition to what it sees as Western domination. Its leaders say enrichment is a proper and a matter of dignity.
However to Washington and Tel Aviv, it appears to be like like defiance, a risk and a possible path to the bomb.
Japan doesn’t communicate this language, nor does Brazil. Their enrichment is a utility. Iran’s is a political assertion.
Double Normal?
There’s one. Israel reportedly holds nuclear weapons. It by no means signed the NPT. It faces no sanctions.
Iran signed the treaty. It faces the scrutiny, the airstrikes and the financial chokehold.
Nonetheless, Iran’s personal habits – secrecy, enrichment ranges and regional aggression (as alleged) – retains fueling the hearth.
The World Watches
IAEA continues to lift purple flags. Sanctions tighten. Talks stall.
And but, different nations with enrichment programmes proceed uninterrupted. Argentina refines. The Netherlands develops. Japan innovates. However the highlight by no means turns their approach.
Solely Iran stands on the centre of this nuclear storm. Enriching uranium, but in addition enriching suspicion.