Atom program - Blinken: Iran could soon have material for nuclear weapons
The Iran is estimated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to be "shortly approaching the ability to produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon." Due to the nuclear deal with Iran being announced, the Iranians are "probably only a week or two away," Blinken stated at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. While Iran has not yet produced a nuclear weapon, the US is closely monitoring developments there.
"When you put these two things together - the fissile material and a warhead - then you have a nuclear weapon," Blinken continued. In the past few weeks and months, one has seen that Iran is making progress with its nuclear program. The country is making strides in terms of its capacity to produce fissile material. Now, one is observing what it is doing in terms of weapons.
The nuclear deal "one of the biggest mistakes we have made"
Ideally, the US and its partners should strive to address the situation through diplomatic means, Blinken said. However, the announcement of the nuclear deal has made this difficult. This announcement, for him, is "one of the biggest mistakes we have made" in recent years.
Iran committed to limiting its nuclear program in the 2015 Vienna nuclear deal. In May 2018, then-US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal from the pact that was intended to prevent Iran from building nuclear bombs. He also imposed sanctions. In response, Tehran significantly increased uranium enrichment and reduced IAEA inspections.
New Iranian president: Nuclear weapons not part of defense doctrine
The newly elected Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has recently declared that his country is not building nuclear weapons. "I would like to emphasize that the defense doctrine of Iran does not include nuclear weapons," wrote the President in the presentation of his foreign policy course in the "Tehran Times". The US should come to terms with this reality and abandon further accusations.
- Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, expressed concern about Iran's progress in producing fissile material, stating they were "shortly approaching the ability to produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon."
- Blinken's remarks were made during the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, where he also mentioned that Iran is likely "only a week or two away" from this capability, as per the nuclear deal's announcement.
- Regarding the nuclear deal, Blinken referred to it as "one of the biggest mistakes we have made" in recent years, making diplomatic resolution of the situation more challenging.
- In 2015, Iran had committed to limiting its nuclear program in the Vienna nuclear deal, but former US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal from the pact in May 2018.
- Trump's decision led to the imposition of sanctions, which prompted Iran to significantly increase uranium enrichment and reduce IAEA inspections.
- The newly elected Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, recently declared that their defense doctrine does not include nuclear weapons and urged the US to acknowledge this reality and cease further accusations.
