Tehran’s nuclear program: Israel worried about reports on Iran

According to a media report, the UN atomic energy agency has found uranium in Iran that has been enriched almost to a degree of purity suitable for weapons. This is causing great concern in Israel.

The report on Iran’s recent progress in uranium enrichment has security circles in Israel worried. Bloomberg reported at the weekend, citing two anonymous diplomats, that Iran had managed to enrich uranium up to 84 percent. Around 90 percent uranium is required to build nuclear weapons.

Report according to ex-general a wake-up call

The Israeli public has been reporting on the progress of the Iranian nuclear program for a long time. But now experts are assuming that Iran could build nuclear weapons within a year. One of them is Tamir Hayman. He is a former general and director at the Israel Institute for National Security. Hayman thinks the report is important – it’s a kind of wake-up call.

The option for a possible, effective military attack increases with each further enrichment, explains Hayman. “But as they progress and move from enrichment to completion, the operational, intelligence effort becomes more complicated.” The situation is already very complicated.

Various operations against the nuclear program

Even if this is not officially commented on by the Israeli side, there have already been various operations against the Iranian nuclear program. There are reports of the targeted killing of scientists involved in the program, of cyber attacks on important infrastructure and also of drone attacks on facilities. However, because some of the Iranian facilities are said to be located in deep underground bunkers, an attack is considered difficult.

UN ambassador calls for further sanctions

Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, has used the report on Iran’s nuclear program to call for further sanctions. He declared: “The murderous regime in Iran continues to violate all commitments and is only one step away from producing nuclear weapons.”

It is now clear that only a military threat together with sanctions can stop Iran. Erdan expects the UN Security Council to “immediately lift all international sanctions again in order to slow down Iran’s rapid progress towards nuclear weapons.”

Iran continues aggression according to Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also talks a lot about Iran’s nuclear program. On the one hand, to warn of the real Iranian threat and to demonstrate determination – on the other hand, he also sees the issue as an opportunity to unite the country in the fight against this threat. During yesterday’s cabinet meeting he said:

Iran continues to send deadly weapons that target many innocent civilians far from its borders, Netanyahu said. Iran also continues to try to attack the State of Israel and its citizens around the world.

“We will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and entrench itself on our northern border,” Netanyahu added. Israel will do everything to “defend its people”. The attacks against Israel will be responded to vigorously.

Many threats from an Israeli point of view

However, security expert Hayman also points out that the issues that the new Israeli government is currently pushing domestically could weaken this fight. He believes: “We have to deal with the big threats. The Palestinian front is about to explode, we see an escalation in East Jerusalem, Ramadan is just around the corner, the nuclear program is getting stronger.”

As long as you keep the international community busy with things like legalizing illegal outposts or reforming the judiciary, time is wasted on those other things, Hayman said.

The only thing that is certain is that Israel will not wait until Iran builds nuclear weapons. Therefore, a major strike against Iran’s nuclear program is likely in the coming weeks or months.