US, Israel Rift Widens Over Iran’s Nuclear Timeline

(MENAFN) The United States and Israel are significantly at odds over how near Iran is to acquiring a nuclear weapon.

While American intelligence evaluations indicate that Tehran is still several years away from that capability, Israeli officials argue that the danger is immediate, according to media accounts released Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that Iran is quickly advancing toward “weaponization,” which has led to a wave of Israeli attacks targeting Iran’s atomic and defense-related facilities, a news agency reported.

In contrast, four individuals with knowledge of the matter informed the news agency that American intelligence does not believe Iran is actively creating a nuclear weapon.

They assess that it would require a minimum of two to three years for Iran to manufacture and deploy such a device.

The latest attacks caused destruction at sites like the Natanz nuclear complex, but left the heavily protected Fordow enrichment plant unharmed.

This disparity in threat perception has placed the Trump administration in a difficult position, as it seeks to prevent further escalation while simultaneously bracing for the possibility of an Iranian counterattack.

Tensions in the region have grown since Friday, following Israeli air raids on numerous locations within Iran, including sites associated with the military and nuclear programs.

In response, Tehran launched counterstrikes.

Israeli officials reported that at least 24 people have died and hundreds more have sustained injuries due to Iranian missile strikes.

Conversely, Iranian authorities stated that at least 224 individuals were killed and more than 1,000 were injured during the Israeli bombardment.

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