Adding to Israel’s troubles is America’s latest assessment regarding Iran’s nuclear program, with experts stating Tehran is at least 18 months away from producing a nuclear bomb.
According to American reports, major problems and outdated equipment at Iran’s Qom nuclear facility have resulted in a major setback, one that experts feel push Iranian nuclear independence back some 18 months. Many feel that this opens a major window of opportunity for imposing increased sanctions on Iran during this period towards compelling Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to comply with the dictates of the United States and Western nations. American inspectors also report a 20% drop in the number of operating centrifuges in the Natanz facility, further strengthening their optimism at present.
A New York Times report uses the term “covert breakout”, a term used by experts to signal the ability to secretly produce a workable nuclear weapon, explaining at present, there simply is no breakout opportunity. Other Western reports concur with this assessment.
On the less encouraging front, the White House is aware that three rounds of sanctions have failed to date, and with growing dissatisfaction in the streets of Iran, as is evident by the mounting protests, the White House does not wish to impose overly strict sanctions that will unite citizens against the US [as if they are supporters of America now].
Back in Israel, there is no sign of officials accepting the new assessment, and until this latest report, Jerusalem has been increasingly concerned with what appears to be Iran’s rapidly approaching the point of no return, nuclear independence, Tehran’s ability to produce an atom bomb.
It should be added that all along, the Americans have been overly optimistic compared to the assessments of Israeli intelligence, usually signaling the point of no return is not as close as it is viewed by Israeli experts, and once again, Israel may be compelled to act unilaterally if America does accept this latest position, believing it has an additional 18 months before being compelled to act.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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4 Responses
What I read there are Israeli security experts saying that Iran may have nuclear weapon capacity in a few months. But, don’t expect the Idiot in Chief to be willing for Israel to stage a pre-emptive strike.
Don’t expect any government to be able to stop something Hashem has decreed. The Mishna in Avos tells us clearly that Teshuva and maasim tovim are the only shields against punishment.
#2,
Who says ridding the world of roshayim who threaten us is not classified as maasim toivim?
por, aren’t we supposed to do Hishtadlus? The Mishna in Avos says that we are not supposed to rely on a miracle.