JERUSALEM (VINnews) — On the eve of his trip to Washington to discuss regional developments regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment and Russia’s influence in Syria, Defense Minister Gantz warned Tuesday that Iran is just a “few weeks” from accumulating sufficient material for a nuclear bomb.
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Gantz also claimed that Tehran is working to finish the production and installation of 1,000 advanced centrifuges enriching uranium, including at a new underground site at the Natanz nuclear facility, he said.
“Iran continues to accumulate irreversible knowledge and experience in the development, research, production, and operation of advanced centrifuges,” Gantz said during a conference at Herzliya’s Reichman University.
“It stands just a few weeks away from accumulating fissile material that will be sufficient for a first bomb, holds 60 kg of enriched material at 60%, produces metallic uranium at the enrichment level of 20%, and prevents the IAEA from accessing its facilities,” he added.
“During these very days, Iran is making an effort to complete the production and installation of 1,000 advanced IR6 centrifuges at its nuclear facilities, including a new facility being built at an underground site near Natanz,” he said.
Last month the head of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog agency, confirmed that Iran had set up a new centrifuge parts workshop at its Natanz nuclear facility.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi said the machines were moved from Karaj, near Tehran, to the new location, which he said was some three floors below ground, possibly to protect it from airstrikes.
The workshop had been set up in one of the halls of Natanz’s fuel enrichment plant, where Iran has thousands of centrifuges, Grossi said.
Gantz’s visit come as the talks regarding reviving the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled due to the Russia-Ukraine war. After the nuclear deal collapsed, Iran continued developing its nuclear project and is apparently close to achieving nuclear capability.
In his speech, the defense minister also said that two Iranian drones downed over Iraq in February were intended to reach terror groups in the Gaza Strip or Judea and Samaria.
“The [Islamic] Revolutionary Guard [Corps] launched a pair of drones from Iran itself, towards Israel. Among other things, based on the fact that the UAVs had parachutes attached, we estimate that the purpose of the launch was to parachute them into the Gaza Strip or Judea and Samaria and for them to be collected by terrorist organizations,” he said.
The IDF has confirmed it intercepted at least four other Iranian drones heading for Israel or the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent years.
Israeli strikes against Iranian have continued unabated in Syrian airspace, which is largely controlled by Russia, even as ties with Moscow have deteriorated in recent weeks. Israel has found itself at odds with Russia as it has increasingly supported Ukraine, while seeking to maintain freedom of movement in Syria’s skies. On the most recent Israeli attack in Syria, Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles were fired at Israeli jets, but no hits were recorded.
Biden tried to prove his leadership capabilities by constantly telling everyone before the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Russia would invade Ukraine very soon. But you didn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure that one out. More importantly, what kind of leadership capabilities was he showing by proving his asinine forecast prowess? Ultimately, he made very little effort to prevent the eventual invasion from occurring.
Likewise, Gantz and his ilk can continue to forecast exactly when Iran will reach the nuclear capability breakout, but their forecast does little to help the cause. These guys will continue to boast their daily forecast prowess until Iran has finally reached their goal. And then Gantz and company will say, “See, we told you so! We were smart and savvy leaders, weren’t we?” No, you’re not smart and savvy at all. Begin was smart, savvy and bold – but more importantly, Begin was a truly caring person, which is why he did what he did in Iraq when he bombed their nuclear facilities.
Susan Rice and Thomas Nides couldn’t care less.
Successive Israeli leaders have warned us for more than two decades that Iran is two weeks away… Sooner or later they may even be right, but nobody will believe a boy who cries wolf every day.
Gosh, if only we had some sort of agreement to monitor their nuclear program.