
(IntegrityPress.org) – The discovery of a computer program that could be used to develop nuclear weapons in Iran has prompted international concern.
According to Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies, Iran is now in possession of a computer modelling program that could significantly speed up the time it takes for the regime to build nuclear weapons. Officials from Israel and the U.S. met on Thursday, June 20, to discuss the implications of this discovery. It marked the first high-level discussion of Iran’s nuclear program between the two nations since early 2023.
According to Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan think-tank, this latest intelligence shows that the long-held consensus over Iran’s nuclear capabilities was wrong. Goldberg explained that for many years, various intelligence agencies were operating under the belief that Iran was “not actively working to build a nuclear weapon”. Although intelligence agencies have not been able to confirm that the computer program is being used to create a new arsenal for Tehran, Goldberg says that it shows a “shorter runway” for the regime to achieve that goal.
Between 2019 and 2020, Goldberg worked with the White House Security Council, acting as director for the Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction project. He argued that with former President Trump in charge, the focus was on minimizing Iran’s ability to create such weapons. Under President Biden, however, many of the policies put in place by Trump have been rolled back, allowing Iran to gain in strength and possibly begin work on building a nuclear arsenal.
As well as making use of specialist computer programming, Iran is in the process of expanding its most heavily guarded nuclear facility. Upon completion of this expansion, the site may be able to produce three times as much enriched uranium as before. Enriched uranium is a vital component in nuclear weaponry. Tehran has also notified the international nuclear watchdog of plans to expand and upgrade several other uranium enrichment facilities across the country.
According to sources within the intelligence community, the recent revelations are being taken extremely seriously by Israeli authorities, particularly in light of the October 7 massacre and the associated intelligence failure leading up to that day. American authorities have not changed their official stance that they have no reason to believe that Iran is building nuclear weapons.
Copyright 2024, IntegrityPress.org