Logan Mintz & Matthew Sharp (CNSP) | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
July 27, 2026
CNSP's Senior Nuclear Fellow, Matthew Sharp, writes about how "recent US military operations in Iran demonstrate the seriousness of a breakout enrichment capability; a nuclear renaissance should not be undertaken in a way that creates more such crises," in his latest article for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The Trump administration is pursuing two contradictory policies with uranium enrichment: It has insisted that zero uranium enrichment in Iran is necessary to achieve its goal of preventing Iranian access to a nuclear weapon. But the administration has also shown an apparent tolerance for the spread of the same uranium enrichment technology elsewhere as part of its push for expanded nuclear exports. There is an essential tension between the administration’s readiness to use military force to prevent enrichment in Iran while condoning the technology’s spread elsewhere.
President Donald Trump showed greater comfort with the spread of enrichment in two high-level meetings in late 2025. Following his October 29 meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, the White House stated that the United States now supports “the process that will lead to the Republic of Korea’s civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing.” This was a notable departure from past US policy against Republic of Korea enrichment.
From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.