Iran's Deputy Atomic Energy Organization Director Ali Asghar Zarean posted a surprising report on Saturday stating that it had passed 1,200 kg. of low level enriched uranium. The IAEA and a number of Iran-watch groups regard 1,000 kg.'s of low-enriched uranium as enough for a nuclear bomb, which means that if the announcement is not disinformation, it could be a major turning point.
If true, the news could substantially accelerate the point at which Israel and the US might need to decide if they will intervene militarily before Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet
militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word
Iranis a cognate form of
Aryan,the abbreviation
IRGCis a cognate form of
Stürmabteilung (or SA),the term
Supreme Guideis a cognate form of either
Shahor
Führeror maybe both, and they hate
develops a nuclear weapon.
There is still time for Israel and the US to deliberate, as to fire a nuclear missile, Iran would still need to decide to enrich the 1,200 kg. to 90% weaponized uranium and would need to develop a method to deliver the nuclear material ‐ something IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi has said could take another year.
The announcement was shocking as the last update about the Islamic Theocratic
Republic's uranium stock set it at under 400 kg. and less than two weeks ago Kochavi predicted that Tehran would not reach 1,300 kg. until the end of 2020.
Other brass hats like former IDF intelligence chief Amos Yadlin had predicted Iran would not reach this threshold until the summer or early fall. Even former IAEA official Olli Heinonen (now at the Stimson Center) had not predicted Iran would get to this point as fast, suggesting April might be the earliest.
Prior to the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran had roughly ten times as much uranium ‐ enough for 10 nuclear bombs ‐ but never enriched any uranium above the 20% level ‐ a medium level that it has not yet reached this time.
Two sources The Jerusalem Post spoke to were unsure whether the announcement was accurate or a disinformation campaign.