American House Intel chief claims Iran is close to nuclear arms
Date
8/21/2024 8:46:51 AM
(MENAFN) In a stark warning issued to CBS on Sunday, Mike Turner, Chairman of the US House Intelligence Committee, indicated that Iran might develop nuclear weapons by the end of this year. Turner, a Republican from Ohio, criticized the current administration’s approach to Iran, suggesting that President Joe Biden’s policies have been ineffective and that former President Donald Trump’s strategies would have produced better results.
Turner’s statement highlights growing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which he believes could lead to Tehran declaring itself a nuclear power within months. This potential development represents a significant escalation that the United States has long sought to prevent.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed similar concerns, stating that Iran could be just weeks away from acquiring the necessary materials to build a nuclear weapon. Blinken attributed this accelerated timeline to Iran’s stockpiling of near-weapons-grade uranium following the US’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018.
The JCPOA, established in 2015 under President Barack Obama and signed by Iran along with China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK, and the US, aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions. However, Blinken noted that since the agreement’s dissolution, Iran’s progress towards nuclear capability has significantly advanced, reducing the time frame needed for Iran to achieve breakout capacity from a year to just one or two weeks.
The evolving situation underscores the urgency of addressing Iran’s nuclear program and the implications of past and current US policies on international security.
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