On Tuesday, a senior military officer testified before Congress that Iran could produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon in about 12 days. This is a far shorter period of time than was previously feasible for the regime.
The JCPOA
The information was revealed when Republican Congressman Jim Banks of Indiana grilled Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy Colin Kahl.
He wanted Khal to explain why the Biden administration spent months attempting to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or Iran Nuclear Deal.
Even after the Russia-China disaster, Biden is determined to project weakness in the Middle East. https://t.co/5jfjQHW4Rg
— Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) February 23, 2023
Iran has made significant progress with its nuclear program since exiting the JCPOA, Kahl told the House Armed Services Committee.
When the previous administration made the decision to withdraw from the JCPOA in 2018, Iran would have needed roughly a year to develop enough fissile material to make one bomb. That would take roughly 12 days right now.
Iran’s nuclear program was restricted as part of the first 2015 nuclear agreement in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
US Assistant Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl
Iran can produce the fissile material needed for a nuclear bomb within 12 days.
pic.twitter.com/LWx1e4zr0J— ๐๐ฏ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ (@AdamNN) March 1, 2023
In 2018, former President Trump withdrew from the agreement, calling it one of the worst and most unfair agreements the US has ever engaged in.
According to a copy of the classified assessment seen by Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) informed members of the United Nations on Tuesday that uranium fragments have been found in Iranian reactors.
These reactors have been enriched up to 83.7% purity, which is extremely near to weapons grade.ย Months-long negotiations on Iran’s possible re-entry into the JCPOA took place under the Biden administration, but they broke down last year.
Potential Measures
On Tuesday, Kahl testified before Congress, saying he still believed that diplomatic means of resolving the conflict and reining down Iran’s nuclear program would be preferable to other measures.
Whereas the JCPOA is currently on hold since an agreement put up last summer was rejected by Iran. Iran’s conduct has undoubtedly evolved since then, not the least of which is its continued support for Russia and Ukraine.
Recent weeks have seen a rise in hostilities between Iran and Israel.
According to local news channel Channel 12, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had many discussions with his intelligence and defense officials about a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Former Defense Intelligence Agency officer Rebekah Koffler stated that rejoining the JCPOA wouldn’t prevent Iran from putting its nuclear program into action.
Koffler stated to Fox News Digital that it would require a far more dramatic action to stop Iran’s advancement at this juncture.
This is when Iran is close to attaining an intermediate milestone in its nuclear program, the capacity to make fissile material for a weapon in about 12 days.ย Another non-kinetic attack or perhaps even a kinetic alternative would be necessary for such a phase.
This article appeared in The Political Globe and has been published here with permission.
