At the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, 3 Menachem Av, National Security Council Chairman Yossi Cohen briefed ministers on the main points of the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Cohen noted the preservation of Iran’s nuclear capabilities that have been made possible as a result of the agreement including the enrichment of uranium and the maintaining of underground nuclear installations such as that at Fordo. This is despite the major powers’ promises that the foregoing would not be possible under the final agreement.

Cohen added the go-ahead that was given to Iran to continue the research and development of advanced centrifuges will significantly reduce the break-out time that Iran will need to arm itself with nuclear weapons.

Cohen emphasized that if Iran honors the agreement it will have a 10-15 year break-out time for dozens of nuclear bombs, as the restrictions on its nuclear program are lifted. Were Iran to violate the agreement it would be able to break out toward individual bombs before then.

Cohen said that Iran has not neglected its nuclear program and added that with the hundreds of billions of dollars that will flow into its coffers Iran will step up the terrorism that it spreads in the region and around the world.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)