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The report said that US intelligence agencies believe that Iran is not currently developing such components. US officials also said there is no evidence that Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei has ordered the restart of the military nuclear program.
Still, a report to the U.S. Congress in July said that “Iran has engaged in activities that would increase its ability to produce a nuclear device, if it chose to do so.”
Producing a working nuclear bomb requires technical capability, knowledge and physical components, such as precise and coordinated detonators, and Iran is widely believed to be one to two years away from achieving such a capability.
However, three senior Israeli officials – one in the defense sector, one in politics and a third with access to classified information – said there had been recent progress in the field.
Three officials said Iran has been actively seeking or “exploring” to acquire the parts needed to assemble a “weapons package” for a nuclear bomb. Some expressed serious concern about these developments, while others noted that Iran is likely to continue such activities.
None of them believe Iran is currently developing a nuclear bomb. Israel has reported its perceived activities to its allies, especially the United States.
The report pointed out that in the past, such research might be seen as a sign that Iran was trying to develop nuclear weapons. But a spokesman for the US intelligence community said, “Iran has no active military nuclear program.”
U.S. officials declined to share details of Iran’s ongoing research with The Wall Street Journal. In recent months, Israeli and U.S. officials have grown increasingly concerned about Iran’s weapons research related to computational modeling and metallurgy.
Such research, which Tehran can claim is intended for civilian use, falls in a “grey area” between acquiring nuclear weapon components, such as high-enrichment uranium and uranium metal production, and actually producing a nuclear weapon, the report said.
The intelligence report submitted to Congress not only mentioned Iran’s research, but also mentioned that Iran’s public statements on nuclear weapons have increased. “Iran’s public statements on nuclear weapons have increased significantly this year, indicating that this topic is no longer taboo.”
The report also noted that even if Tehran does not develop nuclear bombs, it is trying to take advantage of international concerns about the pace of progress of its nuclear program to gain advantage in possible negotiations and respond to international pressure.
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