The U.S. government has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal between the two countries, the White House confirmed on Saturday.

Abbas Araghchi is the Iranian Foreign Minister. He said that he had been presented with “elements of a US deal” by his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi during a short visit to the Iranian capital.

The proposal comes after a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog said that Iran had further stepped up its production of enriched uranium, a key component in the construction of nuclear weapons.

Karoline Leavitt is the White House Press Secretary. She said that on Saturday it was in Tehran’s “best interest to accept” the deal, adding, “President Trump has made it clear that Iran can never obtain a nuclear bomb.”.

Leavitt said that a “detailed and acceptable” proposal had been sent to Iran by U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Araghchi wrote on X that the US proposal “will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran”. The precise details of the deal are not yet clear.

The proposal follows a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which found Iran now possesses over eight hundred and eighty pounds of uranium enriched to sixty percent purity. This is close to the ninety percent purity required for weapons-grade uranium. It is well above the level of purity required for civilian nuclear power and research purposes.

Iran has enough uranium to make about ten nuclear weapons if it is further refined. Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed state producing uranium at this level. Iran has repeatedly said that their nuclear program is peaceful.

The U.S. has long sought to limit Iran’s nuclear capacity to build nuclear weapons. Talks between the U.S. and Iran mediated by Oman have been under way since April.

Both sides have expressed optimism during the course of the talks but still remain divided over key issues. Chief among them is the question of whether Iran can continue enrichment under any future agreement.

Despite the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the U.S., the IAEA report offered no indication that Iran has slowed its nuclear enrichment efforts.

Iran has produced highly enriched uranium at a rate equivalent to the amount needed for one nuclear weapon per month over the past three months, the IAEA report found.

U.S. officials estimate that, if Iran chooses to make a nuclear weapon, it could produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium in less than two weeks and potentially build a bomb within months.

Iran has consistently denied it is attempting to develop nuclear weapons. However, the IAEA said it could not confirm whether this continued to be the case because Iran refuses to grant access to senior inspectors and has not answered longstanding questions about its nuclear history.

Trump is seeking a new nuclear agreement with Tehran after withdrawing the U.S. from a previous nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers in 2018.

This nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, was signed in 2015 by Iran and the U.S., China, France, Russia, Germany and the U.K.

The JCPOA sought to limit and monitor Iran’s nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions that had been placed on the regime in 2010 due to suspicions that its nuclear program was being used to develop a nuclear weapon.

However, Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the deal during his first term in office, claiming JCPOA was a “bad deal” because it was not permanent and did not address Iran’s ballistic missile program, amongst other things.

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action

Nuclear fusion reactors can generate energy by fusing (i.e., joining) two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus. These fusion reactions release huge amounts of energy, which can then be converted into electrical power without emitting greenhouse gases.

One of the most reliable and promising fusion reactor designs is the tokamak. Tokamaks are fusion reactors that use a doughnut-shaped magnetic field to confine and heat plasma (i.e., superhot, electrically charged gas) for the time necessary for fusion reactions to take place.

Despite their potential for the generation of large amounts of clean energy, future tokamaks face huge challenges in managing the intense heat produced by fusion reactions. One major problem is the fact that the confined plasma can interact with the walls of the reactors, damaging them and adversely impacting both their durability and performance.

Researchers at the TCV tokamak experiment at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) recently discovered a new form of plasma radiation that could prevent tokamaks from overheating. It would allow them to shed excess heat and thus potentially boost their performance over time. The new technique they proposed, which they dubbed X-point target radiator (XPTR), was introduced in a paper published in Physical Review Letters.

Kenneth Lee is first author of the paper. He said, “Reducing divertor heat loads is a key challenge for future fusion power plants. One promising approach, the X-point radiator, dissipates plasma energy near the X-point, but scalability is uncertain due to its proximity to the core. We investigate experimentally the effect of adding a secondary X-point along the divertor channel to broaden operational range and maintain core plasma confinement. This concept is known as the X-point target divertor.”

In tokamaks, an X-point is a location where magnetic field lines run purely toroidally. This is central in shaping the plasma and guiding heat away from the core via a narrow magnetic funnel known as a ‘divertor’. X-point radiators are plasma operating conditions in which a large fraction of the plasma heat is converted into uniform radiation in proximity to the X-point.

In their paper, Lee and his colleagues perform experiments in which another X-point is introduce along the divertor. This occurs outside of the zone in which the plasma is confined. Adding this secondary X-point could further permit the removal of excess heat. This would prevent damage to the tokamak and enhances its durability.

Lee explained, “We leverage TCV tokamak’s unique magnetic shaping flexibility to introduce a secondary X-point, and we discovered localized radiation (the ‘XPTR’) far from the plasma core, which preserves core performance while significantly reducing divertor heat load. We found that the X-point target radiator is highly stable and can be sustained over a wide range of operational conditions, potentially offering a much more reliable method for handling power exhaust in a fusion power plant.”

In the initial tests, the approach introduced by the researchers was found to perform remarkably well. It removed excess heat from the magnetically confined plasma more effectively than conventional setups.

This new X-point target configuration is set to be implemented in next-generation tokamak devices that are being developed by Commonwealth Fusion Systems in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lee added, “We are now conducting new high-power experiments to explore the parameter range of the X-point target radiator, complemented by state-of-the-art numerical simulations to better understand its underlying physical mechanisms. The next-generation tokamak, SPARC, plans to incorporate the X-point target divertor into its baseline design, making our findings timely and crucial.”

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

China’s first commercial small modular nuclear reactor (SMR), Linglong-1, is now in the final installation phase. Located in Hainan Province at the Hainan Nuclear Power Co. Ltd. (HNPC) site, the Linglong-1 SMR is being developed by the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC).

According to China’s state-run Global Times, the Linglong-1 being developed by the CNNC is the world’s first land-based SMR to begin construction. It is expected to play a key role in reducing China’s carbon emissions.

The Linglong-1, also known as the ACP100, is a third-generation small, pressurized water reactor. It was fully developed in China and has independent intellectual property rights there. In 2016, the Linglong-1 became the first SMR in the world to pass a safety review by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Because of its size and ability to deliver power safely and steadily, the Linglong-1 has been referred to as a ‘nuclear power bank’. The Global Times reported that the reactor is part of China’s fourteenth Five-Year Plan (2021–2025), focusing on advanced nuclear technology.

According to the HNPC, the project is moving ahead as designed. Engineers are carrying out system tests, and preparations are being made for cold functional testing which is an important step before starting full operations.

SMRs like Linglong-1 are different from traditional nuclear power plants. They are smaller, safer, more modular and quicker to build. These reactors use passive safety systems. This means that they can shut down safely without human action or power. Their smaller size allows them to be used in many different locations, including industrial parks, mining areas, and regions that require a lot of energy.

Each Linglong-1 reactor can produce one hundred and twenty-five thousand kilowatts of electricity. That adds up to one billion kilowatt-hours annually, enough to power about five hundred and twenty-six thousand homes or around one million people.

By replacing coal-based power with nuclear energy from Linglong-1, China can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about eight hundred and eighty thousand tons every year. This is equal to planting seven million five hundred thousand trees.

The CNNC says that the Linglong-1 fills a gap in China’s nuclear development and shows that the country can lead in SMR technology. Following the success of Hualong One, a full-size third-generation nuclear reactor, the Linglong-1 is the next step in China’s goal to innovate independently in nuclear energy. The SMR is expected to help power the Hainan Free Trade Port and support clean energy goals in the region.

The Linglong-1 will also help China to meet its national climate targets. These include reaching peak carbon emissions before 2030 and becoming carbon neutral before 2060.

Modular reactors like Linglong-1 could be useful in many countries, especially those who need clean and stable energy sources without the high cost and size of traditional nuclear plants. The smaller design will also make building and operating reactors easier in areas with less infrastructure.

Once completed, Linglong-1 will become a key part of China’s energy system. It will demonstrate how nuclear technology can be used safely and efficiently to fight climate change. It may also assist Chinato become a major exporter of SMR technology in the future.

China National Nuclear Corporation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is expediting the construction of the world’s first two microreactor test beds. Microreactors can provide one to fifty-megawatts of reliable power.

Named Demonstration of Microreactor Experiments (DOME) and Laboratory for Operation and Testing in the United States (LOTUS), the two test beds will allow reactor developers to test their fueled microreactor experiments quickly, safely, and cost-effectively by leveraging existing infrastructure at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The DoE has granted priority rating authorization to Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

The new rating system is based on recent actions by the DoE to streamline construction projects across the national laboratories to restore energy dominance and help spur U.S. innovation.

Rian Bahran is the DoE Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Reactors. He said, “As President Trump and Secretary Wright have directed, we are coordinating across the federal government and using every tool at our disposal to unleash American energy abundance and dominance. The priority rating under the Defense Production Act for these reactor test beds at Idaho National Laboratory will be an important instrument ensuring we start the American nuclear renaissance now.”

In early May of this year, INL submitted a special priorities request to DoE to receive priority rating authorization on contracts and orders related to the construction of the DOME and LOTUS microreactor test beds.

INL explained that microreactors are small, factory-built nuclear reactors that can provide between one and fifty megawatts of reliable power to remote locations, military bases, and commercial operations.

The DOME and LOTUS test beds are operated by the DoE’s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of advanced microreactor systems.

According to an INL press release, the DOME test bed is repurposing the lab’s Experimental Breeder Reactor-II containment structure to lower the risk of developing microreactor designs capable of producing twenty megawatts or less of thermal energy.

The LOTUS test bed is expected to be housed in the INL’s former Zero Power Physics Reactor facility. The test bed will be part of the world’s first fast-spectrum, salt-fueled reactor test led by Southern Company and TerraPower.

Brad Tomer is the Director of NRIC. He said, “This priority rating will significantly reduce the time it will take to secure the components and services we need to complete the test beds and help microreactor developers stay on their aggressive schedules.”.

DOME is expected to host experimental reactors up to twenty megawatts of thermal energy using high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) in an environment that safely supports nuclear systems going critical for the first time. An end-to-end reactor testing ecosystem will support reactor developers from the initial design through testing and decommissioning.

Currently, microreactor developers can submit applications to schedule their microreactor experiments in the NRIC DOME test bed facility.

The U.S. DoE has released an application guide to assist reactor developers through the submission process. The sequencing of reactor experiments will be based on several criteria. These include technology readiness, fuel type and availability, regulatory approval plan, and the developer’s capabilities.

Idaho National Laboratory