Iran 12 days away from enough uranium for bomb
(MENAFN) Iran is reportedly on the brink of possessing enough enriched uranium to develop a nuclear weapon, with the Pentagon's top policy official, Colin Kahl, warning that the country is just 12 days away from having enough fissile material for such a device. Speaking during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Kahl highlighted that Iran's nuclear capabilities have grown rapidly since the United States withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, with its uranium enrichment currently progressing at an alarming rate.
Meanwhile, a confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was seen by the Associated Press, has revealed that inspectors discovered traces of uranium "particles" enriched up to 83.7 percent in Iran's underground Fordo nuclear site. However, the report found no evidence of Tehran stockpiling the enriched uranium, in line with statements from Iranian officials. Earlier, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, dismissed a similar report by Bloomberg as "slander and a distortion of the facts."
Despite the warning, Kahl acknowledged that Iran may still be willing to return to the negotiating table over the JCPOA, stating that diplomacy remained the best way to address the issue of Iran's nuclear program. The Biden administration has been seeking to revive the JCPOA, which was negotiated under former President Barack Obama but scrapped by Donald Trump, but talks have so far failed to reach a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, a confidential report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which was seen by the Associated Press, has revealed that inspectors discovered traces of uranium "particles" enriched up to 83.7 percent in Iran's underground Fordo nuclear site. However, the report found no evidence of Tehran stockpiling the enriched uranium, in line with statements from Iranian officials. Earlier, Iran's Atomic Energy Organization spokesman, Behrouz Kamalvandi, dismissed a similar report by Bloomberg as "slander and a distortion of the facts."
Despite the warning, Kahl acknowledged that Iran may still be willing to return to the negotiating table over the JCPOA, stating that diplomacy remained the best way to address the issue of Iran's nuclear program. The Biden administration has been seeking to revive the JCPOA, which was negotiated under former President Barack Obama but scrapped by Donald Trump, but talks have so far failed to reach a breakthrough.
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