When US President Donald Trump talks about Iran's nuclear program, he often uses the term "nuclear dust."
What does "nuclear dust" mean?
Medianews.az notes that the answer to the question is very simple: such a concept does not exist, scientifically or technically, and in reality there is no such thing as "nuclear dust."
Therefore, it is not worth overthinking this matter; when Trump says "nuclear dust," he means Iran's enriched uranium reserves. In other words, Trump has even given a unique populist term to enriched uranium.
Uranium in its natural state mainly consists of two isotopes: uranium-238, which makes up most of the mass and is less prone to fission, and uranium-235, which is crucial for nuclear reactions. For nuclear energy production or weapon development, the proportion of uranium-235 is increased, a process known as enrichment. Fuel used for nuclear power plants is usually enriched to 3-5 percent; when this level exceeds 20 percent, it raises strategic concerns among rivals, and a 90 percent or higher level is considered suitable for making nuclear weapons.
Some experts believe that both Trump and Steve Witkoff, who plays a primary role in his negotiation team with Iran, use imprecise expressions because they have a poor understanding of the technical aspects of nuclear technology. Although the term "nuclear dust" does not reflect anything real, the issue behind it — Iran's enriched uranium reserves — is regarded as a very serious matter internationally.