FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Israel itself is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it neither officially admits nor denies it...
Israel has launched a wave of airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting dozens of targets, including the Natanz nuclear complex and eliminating several senior military commanders and nuclear scientists in Tehran.
Following Thursday night's attacks, Iran's Foreign Minister called the Israeli intervention "irresponsible," strongly condemning the attack on the country's "peaceful nuclear facilities." Tehran has responded with airstrikes on Israel.
Abbas Araghchi stated that the Natanz complex operates under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and that the attack could have caused a "radiological catastrophe".
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the operation as necessary to "deter the Iranian threat to Israel's very existence", saying that Iran could produce a nuclear weapon "within months or within a year".
Israel is widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although it neither officially admits nor denies it.
Is there evidence that Iran is working on a nuclear bomb?
According to the Israeli military, intelligence has been obtained indicating "concrete progress" in the Iranian regime's efforts to build nuclear weapons components, including a uranium metal core and a device to ignite a nuclear explosion.
But Kelsey Davenport, director of nonproliferation policy at the US Arms Control Association, said the Israeli prime minister had not presented "any convincing or clear evidence that Iran is on the verge of nuclear weapons."
According to her, Iran has been "at level zero of disengagement" for months - meaning it is close to producing the material for a bomb, but has not yet taken the steps to build the weapon.
In March, the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told Congress that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is at its highest level ever for a non-nuclear weapons state. However, she confirmed that the intelligence community “continues to believe that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the resumption of the program, which has been suspended since 2003.”
Davenport also added that if Israel's goal was truly to stop nuclear proliferation, then Israel would have shared this information with the US and would have struck all of Iran's major nuclear facilities in a coordinated manner.
Last week, the IAEA reported that Iran has accumulated uranium enriched to 60% – a technical step away from weapons-grade (90%) – theoretically enough to produce up to nine nuclear bombs. The agency considered this a “matter of serious concern” because of the risk of proliferation.
The IAEA also stressed that it cannot confirm whether Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, as Iran has not cooperated with the investigation into uranium particles found at three undeclared facilities.
Damage from Israeli attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure
The Israeli military said on Friday that the first airstrikes damaged the underground centrifuge hall at Natanz and the vital infrastructure that allows it to operate.
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi reported to the UN Security Council that the above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) and electrical infrastructure at Natanz had been destroyed. Although there is no evidence of a direct hit to the underground facility, the power outage may have damaged centrifuges located there.
The American Institute for Science and International Security emphasized that the destruction of PFEP is particularly significant, as it was the only unit producing uranium enriched to 60% and serving the development of advanced centrifuges.
According to Kelsey Davenport, these attacks will extend Iran's "breakthrough time" - that is, how long it takes to build a bomb - but it is still too early to fully assess the impact. "We will not have a clear picture of the pace of resumption of operations, or whether Iran has moved materials, until the IAEA is allowed to inspect the site," she concluded. / Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "BBC"
Lini një Përgjigje