It is a huge step to go from nuclear powered electrical generation to nuclear bombs. Uranium has two forms, one fairly inert (half-life of 4.5 billion years) and one that is radioactive. The radioactive form is less than 1% of the ore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_uranium

It is possible to have power plants that use natural uranium without any concentration.

To build a bomb with uranium, you have to concentrate the U235 to 90%. Iran had to acquire a vast number of centrifuges in order to do the concentrating. In WWII, the Manhattan Project used "electromagnetic separation, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion technologies were all successful and contributed to the project." Centrifuge technology was improved after the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project

Note that of the high cost of the Manhattan Project, most of that was spent in getting the concentrated fissionable material. They needed to build multiple large plants to get the job done.

Look at how it has been possible to identify and disrupt Iran's attempts to get concentrated material. Police in a more open society will have an easier time.

It is a huge step to go from nuclear powered electrical generation to nuclear bombs. Uranium has two forms, one fairly inert (half-life of 4.5 billion years) and one that is radioactive. The radioactive form is less than 1% of the ore.

It is possible to have power plants that use natural uranium without any concentration.

To build a bomb with uranium, you have to concentrate the U235 to 90%. Iran had to acquire a vast number of centrifuges in order to do the concentrating. In WWII, the Manhattan Project used "electromagnetic separation, gaseous diffusion, and thermal diffusion technologies were all successful and contributed to the project." Centrifuge technology was improved after the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project

Note that of the high cost of the Manhattan Project, most of that was spent in getting the concentrated fissionable material. They needed to build multiple large plants to get the job done.

Look at how it has been possible to identify and disrupt Iran's attempts to get concentrated material. Police in a more open society will have an easier time.