Iran Was Weeks From Nuclear Weapons Capability Before Israeli Strikes, Expert Says

Photo by Stephen Cobb on Unsplash

Iran was within weeks of producing sufficient weapons-grade nuclear material for approximately 10 nuclear weapons before Israel launched Friday's preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a leading Australian defense expert.

Dr. Malcolm Davis, senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said the International Atomic Energy Agency had determined Iran possessed enough fissile material that could be rapidly enriched to weapons grade.

"I think that the IAEA has made it clear that the Iranians were within weeks of having sufficient fissile material that could be enriched up to weapons grade that would then give the Iranians about 10 nuclear weapons that then could be put on missiles and delivered onto Israel," Davis said in an interview with Sky News Australia Friday.

The assessment provides crucial context for Israel's decision to launch widespread strikes targeting Iranian nuclear scientists and the main enrichment facility at Natanz, despite ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

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