Israel has been attacking Iran's nuclear facilities that make enriched uranium deep underground. The Natanz plant suffered major damage according to international nuclear inspectors. Another site called Fordo sits buried inside a mountain and would need special American bunker-buster bombs to destroy it. Nuclear experts worry about what might happen if bombs hit these uranium storage areas.
Iran enriches uranium by spinning it in high-speed machines called centrifuges. Regular uranium from the ground contains mostly uranium-238 and a tiny amount of uranium-235. Nuclear power plants need about 3 to 5 percent enriched uranium to make electricity. Nuclear weapons require much higher levels around 90 percent enrichment.
Iran has enriched its uranium to about 60 percent concentration according to inspectors. Bombing stored uranium would not cause disasters like Chernobyl or Fukushima nuclear accidents. The uranium itself is not extremely radioactive and would mainly scatter locally from explosions. The most dangerous radioactive materials only form when uranium splits apart in reactors or bombs.
Iran enriches uranium by spinning it in high-speed machines called centrifuges. Regular uranium from the ground contains mostly uranium-238 and a tiny amount of uranium-235. Nuclear power plants need about 3 to 5 percent enriched uranium to make electricity. Nuclear weapons require much higher levels around 90 percent enrichment.
Iran has enriched its uranium to about 60 percent concentration according to inspectors. Bombing stored uranium would not cause disasters like Chernobyl or Fukushima nuclear accidents. The uranium itself is not extremely radioactive and would mainly scatter locally from explosions. The most dangerous radioactive materials only form when uranium splits apart in reactors or bombs.
