US says Iran is advancing a key aspect of developing a nuclear bomb

ASPEN, Colorado – Iran is talking more about obtaining a nuclear bomb and has made progress in developing a key aspect of a weapon since April, when Israel and its allies tamed a barrage of Iranian airstrikes against Israel, two senior Biden administration officials said. on Friday.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, speaking on separate panels during a security forum in Colorado, said the United States was watching for any signs that Iran had made the decision to proceed. with the actual weaponization of its nuclear program.

However, Sullivan said, “I have not seen a decision by Iran to move” in a way that would signal that it has decided to actually develop a nuclear bomb at this point.

“If they start going down this path, they will find a real problem with the United States,” Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum, which attracts policymakers, journalists and other U.S. citizens.

Iran resumed progress on its nuclear program after The Trump administration ended US cooperation with a 2015 agreement which gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for allowing tighter oversight of the program.

Iran claims that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes. The US and other members of the international community believe that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has long avoided giving any final authorization to Iranian scientists to develop a nuclear weapon.

But Iran’s poor performance with conventional weapons on April 13, when it launched its first direct attack on Israel as part of a days-long exchange of attacks, had observers watching for any increase in Iranian interest in advancing a nuclear weapon.

At the time, Israel said, the United States and other allies shot down 99% of the approximately 300 missiles and drones launched by Iran following an alleged Israeli attack that killed two Iranian generals.

“What we’ve seen over the last few weeks and months is that Iran is really moving forward” in developing fissile material, Blinken said on Friday. Fissile material could be used to power a bomb.

He blamed the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal. Trump called the deal “flawed at its core” when he ended U.S. participation in 2019.

“Instead of being at least a year away from having the capability to produce fissile material for a nuclear weapon, they are probably a week or two away from doing so,” Blinken said, adding that “where we are now is not a good place. “

“Now, they haven’t produced a weapon per se, but… you put these things together, fissile material, an explosive device, and you have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

The United States was watching “very, very carefully” for any sign that Iran was working on the weapons side of bomb production, he said. The US is also working on the diplomatic side to counter any further efforts, Blinken said.

Meanwhile, Sullivan said, the U.S. has noticed “an increase in public comments from Iranian officials reflecting on that possibility” since the April attacks and counterattacks between Iran and Israel and their allies.

“This was new. That was something that caught our attention,” he said.