(JNS) A senior US defence official has warned that the Iranian government could produce enough fissile material for a bomb in under two weeks.
On Tuesday, US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl warned that Tehran's uranium enrichment scheme is far more advanced than previously thought, comments that echoed those made in an interview aired over the weekend by CIA chief William Burns.
In the primetime interview, Burns said that while he didn't believe "The Supreme Leader in Iran has yet made a decision to resume the weaponization program", he described recent advancements in their enrichment schemes as "worrisome."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that history has shown that in the absence of a credible military threat or actual military action, Iran will become a nuclear power.
“The longer you wait, the harder that becomes to prevent. We’ve waited very long. I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. That is not merely an Israeli interest; it’s an American interest; it’s in the interest of the entire world,” he said.
Last month, the Associated Press obtained a copy of a confidential IAEA quarterly report stating that “particles” of the substance, just below the 90% enrichment level considered “military grade,” had been detected.
The IAEA last month publicly chastised the Islamic Republic for modifying the connection between two centrifuge clusters at its Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. The change was discovered during an unannounced inspection at the site, which is built into a mountain.
The new IAEA report confirmed that on Jan. 21, two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at the plant had been configured in a manner “substantially different” from what had been previously declared. Inspectors took samples at the site the following day, which showed particles of uranium enriched up to 83.7%, the report said.
“Iran informed the agency that ‘unintended fluctuations’ in enrichment levels may have occurred during the transition period. Discussions between the agency and Iran to clarify the matter are ongoing,” added the report.
